Tag: Stephen Sullivan

Panthers sign 3 of their own free agents

The Panthers signed three players to one-year extensions on Monday.

Firing general manager Scott Fitterer didn’t stop the Carolina Panthers from making some roster moves on Monday.

As announced this afternoon, the team has signed tight end Stephen Sullivan and defensive linemen Nick Thurman and LaBryan Ray to one-year extensions.

Sullivan, who was slated to be a restricted free agent this spring, recorded career-highs in offensive snaps (170) and special teams snaps (185) in 2023. He also notched bests in targets (24), receptions (12) and receiving yards (125).

Thurman and Ray, exclusive rights free agents, will also be returning off the heels of their most productive pro campaigns. Both appeared in each of the Panthers’ 17 games.

Ray registered his first career start in the Week 14 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He finished the year with 19 combined tackles, three of which came in yesterday’s finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Thurman, who played in 34.9 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, ranked eighth on the unit in stops (16).

With the trio inking back on, the Panthers now have two remaining restricted free agents (wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette and tight end Giovanni Ricci) and one remaining exclusive rights free agent (running back Raheem Blackshear).

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Best and worst PFF grades from Panthers’ Week 18 loss to Buccaneers

Panthers CB Jaycee Horn strapped on the seatbelt to close out the 2023 campaign.

Which Carolina Panthers did well on the final test of the 2023 season?

Here are the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades from the Week 18 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

2024 free agents who may be playing their final game for the Panthers in Week 18

Week 18 may mark the end of an era for a few Carolina Panthers players.

Sunday will not only represent the end of a brutal 2023 season for the Carolina Panthers, but it may also mark the end of a few eras.

Here are 23 pending free agents who could be playing their last game for the Panthers in Week 18:

*List excludes pending free agents who are on the practice squad, who are on injured reserve and who have been ruled out

Panthers Week 10 injury report: 4 players ruled out vs. Bears

The Panthers have ruled out four players from their Week 10 clash with the Bears, including OLB Brian Burns and CB CJ Henderson.

As expected, the Carolina Panthers won’t have two more key defenders for their latest outing.

Those two players are outside linebacker Brian Burns and cornerback CJ Henderson, both of whom left this past Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts due to concussions. Head coach Frank Reich unofficially ruled out the duo on Tuesday.

Joining them will be wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (ankle) and tight end Stephen Sullivan (shoulder). Fellow pass catcher DJ Chark may be on the sideline as well, as he’s been listed as doubtful with an elbow injury.

Here’s the team’s final injury report a day ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Chicago Bears:

Injury Monday Tuesday Wednesday Game status
OLB Brian Burns Concussion/elbow DNP DNP DNP Out
WR DJ Chark  Elbow DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
CB CJ Henderson Concussion DNP DNP DNP Out
WR Laviska Shenault Jr. Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
TE Stephen Sullivan Shoulder DNP DNP DNP Out
S Xavier Woods Thigh DNP DNP Limited Questionable
S Vonn Bell Quadriceps Full Full Full Questionable
RB Raheem Blackshear Ankle Full Full Full –
LT Ikem Ekwonu Ankle Full Full Full –
OLB Marquis Haynes Sr. Back Full Full Full Questionable
LB Frankie Luvu Hip Full Full Full –
TE Tommy Tremble Shoulder Full Full Full –

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Panthers place Ian Thomas on IR

The Panthers have placed TE Ian Thomas (calf) on injured reserve.

The Carolina Panthers will be down yet another player for their daunting Week 6 trip to see the Miami Dolphins.

As announced by the team on Saturday afternoon, tight end Ian Thomas has been placed on injured reserve. Thomas, who popped up on yesterday’s injury report with a calf issue, will now be sidelined for at least the next four weeks.

Thomas is currently in his sixth season with the Panthers. A 2018 fourth-round selection, who was signed to a three-year, $16.95 million extension last winter, has caught 113 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns over 87 career games.

The 27-year-old has played in all five outings with a pair of starts for Carolina in 2023. He’s reeled in two catches for 36 yards on four targets.

Taking his place on the active roster will be fellow tight end Stephen Sullivan, who began the season on injured reserve due to a hip injury. He was designated to return from the shelf back on Oct. 4 and practiced in full on both Thursday and Friday.

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Donte Jackson limited at Wednesday’s practice

The Panthers listed CB Donte Jackson, LB Frankie Luvu and RB Miles Sanders as limited participants from Wednesday’s practice.

After losing cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Xavier Woods, the Carolina Panthers could ill afford to see another one of their starting defensive backs go down. But they did this past Sunday, and the setback has lingered into the week.

Starting cornerback Donte Jackson was listed as a limited participant for Wednesday’s practice session, just four days ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Detroit Lions. The sixth-year veteran made an early exit from this past Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Other than Jackson, the only healthy corners remaining in the locker room include CJ Henderson, Troy Hill, D’Shawn Jamison and practice squad member Sam Webb.

In a bit of better news, guard Austin Corbett (knee) and tight end Stephen Sullivan (hip) both made their returns to the practice field after missing the first four games of the season. Additionally, wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, who sat out in Week 4 due to a concussion, was not among those listed in the injury report.

Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
S Xavier Woods Hamstring DNP
OLB Justin Houston Rest DNP
LB Claudin Cherelus Ankle Limited
CB Donte Jackson Shoulder DNP
LB Frankie Luvu Hip DNP
TE Giovanni Ricci Shoulder Limited
RB Miles Sanders Groin Limited
DE DeShawn Williams Elbow Limited
G Austin Corbett Knee Limited
TE Stephen Sullivan Hip Limited

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Stephen Sullivan designated to return from IR

Along with RG Austin Corbett, Panthers TE Stephen Sullivan has been designated to return from IR.

Austin Corbett isn’t the only player the Carolina Panthers took off the shelf on Wednesday.

As reported by Darin Gantt of Panthers.com late this morning, tight end Stephen Sullivan has been designated to return from injured reserve. This move comes along with the clearance of Corbett, who is seemingly on the very end of his recovery from a torn ACL.

Sullivan hit the IR back on Aug. 31 due to a hip injury. The setback kept the 26-year-old pass catcher out of the team’s entire slate of preseason contests this summer.

Now a fourth-year veteran, the 2020 seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks first joined the Panthers on a reserve/futures deal in February of 2021. He went on to appear in 17 games for Carolina between the last two seasons, amassing two receptions and 46 yards over seven targets.

Like Corbett, Sullivan will have 21 days to be moved to the active roster as he makes his return to the practice field.

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Panthers place Stephen Sullivan on IR

Panthers TE Stephen Sullivan has been placed on IR.

The Carolina Panthers have just opened up another spot on their roster.

As announced by the team on Thursday morning, tight end Stephen Sullivan has been placed on injured reserve. The 26-year-old pass catcher missed the entirety of preseason play due to a hip injury.

Sullivan, who still lasted through the week’s tsunami of cuts despite his inactivity for the better part of summer, played in 14 games over the past two seasons in Carolina. He totaled a pair of receptions for 46 yards on seven targets.

A Louisiana State University product, Sullivan was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 draft by the Seattle Seahawks. The big 6-foot-5, 245-pounder appeared in just one outing for Seattle during his rookie campaign and became a free agent after the season.

The Panthers then signed Sullivan to a reserve/futures contract later that offseason.

Sullivan will now miss at least the first four games of the year.

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Carolina Panthers 53-man roster projection: Pre-training camp edition

With training camp less than a month away, let’s roll out our latest projections for the Panthers’ 53-man roster.

Now that we’re in July, the month where NFL players begin to return from their summer breaks, it’s time to take another crack at predicting the Carolina Panthers roster.

So, here are our pre-training camp projections for the 2023 53-man squad.