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Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Dave Canales: Bryce Young Will ‘Absolutely’ Start In Week 13

November 24th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers head coach Dave Canales emphatically backed quarterback Bryce Young after Sunday’s game, saying that the 2023 No. 1 overall pick will “absolutely” start in Week 13, per ESPN’s David Newton.

Young began the season as Carolina’s starting quarterback, but lost the job after just two weeks with a dismal combined statline of 31 completions on 56 attempts for just 245 yards with three interceptions and zero touchdowns. Andy Dalton took over under center, but sprained his thumb in a car accident in October, pressing Young back into a starting role in Week 8. He delivered his best game of the year with 224 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, earning him another start in Week 9, even though Dalton was healthy enough to play.

Young then led the Panthers to back-to-back victories to bring them to 3-7 ahead of their Week 11 bye, keeping him under center against Kansas City in Week 12. He put up a season-high 263 passing yards on Sunday and especially excelled against the blitz with 11 completions on 13 attempts for 135 yards and a touchdown, according to Newton.

Sunday’s performance earned Young an unusually strong backing from his head coach. Canales has typically waited at least 24 hours (and up to three days) before naming Young as the next week’s starter since Week 8, saying that he has to watch game film and consult his staff before making a decision. This time, Canales didn’t need any time to make up his mind.

In addition to winning over his head coach, Young seems to have earned the confidence of his teammates. Veteran offensive guard Robert Hunt was “fired up” by Young’s postgame speech in the locker room, a rare occurrence since he was drafted, per Newton.

Many expected Canales to kickstart Young’s development after his success with Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. The benching may have eroded Young’s confidence initially, but his recent starts have the young quarterback trending in the right direction.

Panthers Place RB Miles Sanders On IR

November 23rd, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Panthers have placed running back Miles Sanders on injured reserve, per team reporter Darin Gantt.

Sanders exited Carolina’s Week 10 victory over the Giants in the second quarter and has not practiced since.

Despite signing a four-year, $25.4MM contract with the Panthers in 2023, Sanders has played second fiddle to Chuba Hubbard in the backfield over the past two seasons. This year, Sanders has just 38 carries for 139 yards (3.7 yards per carry) compared to 818 yards on 161 attempts (5.1 yards per carry) by Hubbard.

Sanders’ latest injury could spell the end of his time in Carolina, according to ESPN’s David Newton. Sanders has no guaranteed salary in the remaining two years of his contract, and the Panthers could save $9.8MM in salary cap space in 2025 and 2026 with a dead cap hit of just under $3MM, per OverTheCap.

The Panthers signed wide receiver Deven Thompkins to fill Sanders’ spot on the active roster. He was elevated for Carolina’s last two games with Adam Thielen still working his way back from a hamstring injury, though the veteran is expected to play in Week 12.

Carolina also used practice squad elevations for wide receiver Dan Chisena and linebacker Kenny Dyson, their first call-ups of the season.

Panthers Place TE Ian Thomas On IR; LB Amaré Barno Returns To Practice

November 18th, 2024 at 7:52pm CST by Ben Levine

With the Panthers coming off their bye week, the front office made a series of moves today. Most notably, the team placed tight end Ian Thomas on injured reserve. The team also signed cornerback Caleb Farley to the active roster.

Thomas suffered a calf injury during the team’s Week 10 win in Germany. The tight end will now be sidelined for at least the next four games, but there’s still a chance he could appear in a handful of December contests if he requires only a minimum stint on IR. Thomas also missed a chunk of games to begin the year as he nursed a calf injury.

Thanks in part to his absences, the veteran has been limited to only three catches this season. This performance came on the heels of a 2023 campaign where Thomas hauled in only five receptions. The former fourth-round pick did have a moderate offensive role between 2018 and 2022, with Thomas averaging 22 receptions for 200 yards per season.

Elsewhere on the roster, Farley will now have a secure role on the active roster after having been elevated three times from the practice squad. A former first-round pick by the Titans, Farley has seen time on 29 defensive snaps during his first season in Carolina. He’ll continue to play a depth role behind Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, and Dane Jackson.

The Panthers are also getting close to welcoming back some linebacker depth, as Amaré Barno returned to practice today. The organization will now have 21 days to activate the LB to the active roster. The 2022 sixth-round pick tore his ACL during last year’s Christmas Eve game, and there’s a chance his recovery won’t even span an entire year. After getting into nine games as a rookie, Barno appeared in 15 games in 2023, finishing with 21 tackles while splitting time between defense and special teams.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/24

November 18th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks

NFC South Notes: Brooks, Canales, Saints

November 15th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is expected to make his NFL debut after Carolina’s Week 11 bye, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Brooks was activated from the reserve/non-football injury list November 6 ahead of the Panthers’ Week 10 matchup with the Giants in Germany, but he remained inactive for that game. Instead, he will have to wait even longer for his first professional snaps after being drafted by Carolina with the 46th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Brooks’ debut will come against the reigning Super Bowl winners, who have held opponents to 83.2 rushing yards per game this year, the third-lowest in the league. The 21-year-old running back will likely ease into the Panthers’ game plan with teammate Chuba Hubbard ranking in the top five in rushing yards and attempts this season. With Brooks, Hubbard and Miles Sanders all signed through 2026, Carolina may consider some two-back formations to get the most out of its offense.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Panthers owner David Tepper has made four head coaching changes since 2022, but Dave Canales is expected to keep his job despite his team’s record this year, per The Athletic’s Joseph Person. But changes on his staff could be impending with the defense allowing a league-worst 31.0 points per game and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young still struggling to develop.
  • Though Brian Burns was clearly frustrated with the lack of progress on extension talks with the Panthers, he did not force his way out of Carolina. “I never requested a trade,” said Burns, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. However, it was clear that the Panthers would not give him the $28.2MM per-year contract that he eventually signed with the Giants, per ESPN’s David Newton.
  • The Panthers needed additional salary cap space in October, so they restructured the contract of outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum. Carolina converted this year’s per game roster bonuses into a signing bonus and adding three voidable years to the end of his contract, which expires after the 2025 season, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. His 2024 salary cap hit dropped to $2.525MM with a $8.4MM cap hit in 2025.
  • The Saints are facing a key contract decision with quarterback Derek Carr, who has a $51.5MM salary cap hit in 2025 with $10MM in guaranteed salary and a $10MM roster bonus. The remaining $30MM of his salary is currently guaranteed for injury but becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. New Orleans is already projected to be $63.8MM over the salary cap in 2025, so it may need to consider moving on from Carr to kickstart a rebuild and help its financial situation. The Saints may consider benching Carr like the Broncos did with Russell Wilson last year to make sure that he doesn’t get injured and trigger his guarantees for the 2025 season.
  • Alvin Kamara‘s recent extension includes some specific requirements for the All-Pro running back to reach his contract’s maximum value. If he does not attend 100 percent of OTAs in 2025 – something he has not done in several years – the Saints can reduce his salary by $353,000, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. If Kamara records at least 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 2026, he is eligible for a $500,000 bonus for each Satins postseason victory that year, per Terrell.

Jonathan Mingo Did Not Expect To Be Traded; WR To Make Cowboys Debut In Week 11

November 15th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys were involved in the trade market last week when they acquired Jonathan Mingo. The second-year wideout fell out of the Panthers’ plans, and with term left on his rookie contract he can be a contributor for Dallas in 2024 and beyond.

Mingo was known to be a trade candidate leading up to the deadline, and Carolina had already been active at the position by dealing Diontae Johnson to the Ravens. Dallas did not profile as the most logical of potential buyers given the team’s struggles this year, but the trade – which saw Mingo and a seventh-round pick exchanged for a fourth-rounder – is of course not strictly a rental. Still, the 23-year-old was surprised he found himself on the move at the deadline.

“It kind of blindsided me, because my agent told me he didn’t think anything was going to happen, slim chance,” Mingo said when reflecting on the trade (via the Cowboys’ website). “So that slim chance happened. I’m happy to be a Cowboy, fresh start for me, new beginnings, God put me here for a reason.”

The 2023 second-rounder entered the league with high expectations last year, but he managed only 418 scoreless yards. Carolina’s offense underwent a number of changes this offseason, and Mingo went from handling a snap share of 89% in 2023 to just 56% this year. An uptick in usage could be coming his way in Dallas, a team which has been without Brandin Cooks for more than one month. That injury has left the Cowboys thin in terms of depth receiver options behind CeeDee Lamb.

Cooks is a pending free agent, and aside from he and Lamb – who signed a monster extension this offseason – all of Dallas’ wideouts are attached to rookie deals. That includes Mingo, who showed plenty of potential as a deep threat with a 15.7 yards per catch average during his time at Ole Miss. The Cowboys could use a vertical presence in their passing game now and in the future, and Mingo could prove to be a cost-effective contributor in that regard after the team thought higher of him than any rookie added in the fourth round this April.

To little surprise, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said (via DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr.) Mingo will play in Week 11. Dallas sits at 3-6 on the year and with Dak Prescott sidelined for the remainder of the campaign (among a number of other injuries), the chances of a postseason push are slim. Mingo’s debut and his performances the rest of the way will be an interesting storyline to follow, though.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/24

November 12th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Released: LB Cam Johnson

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

The Falcons have added a notable name to their special teams corps in Jakeem Grant. The long-time Dolphins returner has collected six ST touchdowns in his career (four via punts, two via kickoffs), and he’s even hauled in 100 catches. However, the veteran hasn’t seen the field since the 2021 campaign while spending the past few years on Cleveland’s practice squad.

With Dak Prescott done for the season, the Cowboys have added some extra QB depth. In comes old friend Will Grier, who spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Dallas. The former third-round pick has since bounced around the NFL, including stops with the Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers in just 2023. Grier still only has two career appearances on his resume, both coming with the Panthers in 2019.

The Texans have added some experienced OL depth in Cameron Erving. The veteran is coming off a 2023 campaign where he started two of his three appearances for the Saints, and he barely played in 11 appearances with the Panthers in 2022. Still, the 32-year-old brings 98 games (58 starts) of experience to Houston, a factor that could be valuable down the stretch. To make room on the practice squad, the Texans moved on from cornerback Desmond King. The veteran has only seen time in one game for Houston this season, although he’s not far removed from a 2022 campaign where he started 13 games for the Texans.

Panthers Activate Adam Thielen From IR

November 12th, 2024 at 11:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Thielen‘s 21-day activation window was set to close Wednesday. As a result, Carolina will indeed move the veteran wide receiver back onto its 53-man roster.

The Panthers officially activated Thielen from IR, burning one of their IR-return moves in order to have the 34-year-old pass catcher back in the fold. Had the team passed on doing so, Thielen would have spent the rest of the season on IR. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver has worked his way back from a hamstring injury.

Having not played since Week 3, Thielen has missed much of his second Panthers season. The team had turned to Andy Dalton before the Raiders game that featured Thielen’s injury but has since traded Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo and then turned back to Bryce Young. While rumblings of the team giving Dalton another chance emerged following the thumb injury he sustained in a car accident, Young has guided the team to back-to-back wins.

It would stand to reason, based on the investment the Panthers made in the former Heisman winner, the younger passer would remain at the controls. Thielen is now back in the picture to help Young develop. The longtime Vikings starter arrived, via a three-year deal worth $25MM, to help Young develop last year. He was about the only positive component on the 2023 Panthers’ offense, which faceplanted during Frank Reich and Thomas Brown‘s stewardship. Thielen still picked up his third 1,000-yard season and entered this year with a fully guaranteed salary.

As could be expected given Thielen’s age and Carolina’s place during this rebuild, the 12th-year wideout came up in trade rumors. Thielen was mentioned along with Johnson and Mingo as trade candidates, with a move to a contender believed to be a development the second-year Panther would appreciate. Prior to acquiring Mike Williams, the Steelers showed interest. No trade happened, and Thielen is now positioned to work with first-rounder Xavier Legette and rookie UDFA Jalen Coker as Carolina’s top receivers.

It is possible Thielen could still be cut, in an effort to send him to a contending team, but he would hit the waiver wire if dropped since the trade deadline has passed. A team would be responsible for just less than $2MM in the event of a Thielen claim. For now, the possession target — who had displayed frustration about the state of the team’s passing attack in September — remains a Panther ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Chiefs.

The Panthers cut wideout-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews once again to clear a roster spot for Thielen. The former WR starter is in his second season with the Panthers.

Diontae Johnson Sought Exit From Panthers

November 10th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan revealed that Diontae Johnson “wanted a change of scenery” before he was dealt to the Ravens at the end of October, per Joe Person of The Athletic.

Morgan also indicated that the desire to part ways was mutual in a recent press conference.

“We felt at the end of the day that it was best for the team and best for Diontae that we both part ways and get the compensation there that we got,” said Morgan, according to team reporter Kassidy Hill.

The Panthers received a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson and a 2025 sixth-rounder while eating a significant portion of the wideout’s contract. The Ravens will only owe Johnson the veteran minimum salary for the remainder of the season.

This is the second time in eight months that Johnson has sought a trade away from his current team. He first arrived in Carolina in March after requesting a trade from the Steelers, who sent him to the Panthers along with a seventh-round pick for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-rounder.

Overall, the Panthers’ two trades involving Johnson turned Jackson and two sixth-round picks into fifth- and seventh-rounders plus seven games, 357 receiving yards, and three touchdowns from the 28-year-old. Jackson, meanwhile, is tied for sixth in the NFL with three interceptions, one shy of his career-high.

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