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Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

NFL Injury Updates: Wharton, Lions, Colts

September 11th, 2025 at 7:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton suffered a hamstring injury in his Panthers debut and will miss time as a result.

Head coach Dave Canales said (via team reporter Darin Gantt) that Wharton’s absence would be “somewhere in the two- to four-week range.” That could preclude a move to injured reserve, as Wharton would be sidelined for a mandatory four week after his placement. Given the nature of his injury, the Panthers likely want to get him back on the practice field sooner as he ramps up to game readiness.

Wharton, 27, signed in Carolina this offseason for $15MM per year with the hopes of combining with Derrick Brown and A’Shawn Robinson to upgrade the Panthers’ interior pass rush. The former Chief put up a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024 and added two more in the playoffs.

Until Wharton returns to the field, the Panthers will lean on a backups Bobby Brown and Jaden Crumedy. Rookie Cam Jackson should also get more opportunities after sitting as a healthy scratch in Week 1.

Here are several other injury updates from around the NFL:

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/25

September 8th, 2025 at 6:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Liam Fornadel

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

2025 Offseason In Review Series

September 7th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are PFR’s breakdowns of each NFL team’s 2025 offseason.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

NFC North Rumors: Hafley, Thielen, Ratledge

September 7th, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Rory Parks

In 2024, Jeff Hafley’s first year as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Green Bay ranked fifth and sixth in total and scoring defense, respectively, while also finishing third in interceptions and seventh in sacks. That performance garnered Hafley a head coaching interview with the Jets this offseason, and more such interviews could be on the horizon.

Per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required), Hafley is viewed as a legitimate HC candidate in some league circles, and he has a chance to elevate his stock even further given the Packers’ addition of star edge defender Micah Parsons. Howe already expects teams in search of a defensive-minded head coach in next year’s cycle to do their homework on Hafley, and another strong showing from his unit will solidify his place on the HC radar.

Now for more from the NFC North:

  • A trade at the end of August brought WR Adam Thielen back to the Vikings after a two-year stint with the Panthers. In a comprehensive look behind the scenes of the swap, Joseph Person of The Athletic (subscription required) says Carolina was not actively looking to deal Thielen, who became an important veteran leader. Given that, and given the Panthers’ leverage – Minnesota’s need for a veteran wideout was well-documented – Carolina originally asked the Vikes for a third-round pick in exchange for Thielen and a fifth-rounder. The Panthers wanted to get the equivalent of fourth-round value in a Thielen trade, and they eventually got there while shaving off $7MM in cap space they can roll over to next year. The Vikes, meanwhile, did not have to give up a third.
  • Rookie Tate Ratledge was initially penciled in as the Lions’ starting center in the wake of Frank Ragnow’s retirement, but that experiment lasted all of three training camp practices before Detroit shifted Ratledge to right guard and veteran Graham Glasgow to the pivot. However, that had less to do with Ratledge’s performance than Glasgow’s existing rapport with QB Jared Goff, and as Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network writes, GM Brad Holmes still sees Ratledge as the long-term center, where he may have an even higher ceiling (despite his success at guard in college).
  • The Lions waived sixth-round rookie Ahmed Hassanein with an injury settlement during final roster cutdowns at the end of August, but Holmes still expects the defensive end to suit up for the team this year (via Jeremy Reisman of PrideofDetroit.com). Holmes said there is a handshake deal in place for Hassanein, who has cleared waivers, to return to Detroit once the length of the injury settlement term (plus an additional three weeks) is complete. That term is presently unknown.
  • Former Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach will serve in a game management role for the club this year, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Muhlbach, a two-time Pro Bowler and the second-longest-tenured player in franchise history, joined the team in an administrative role shortly after his 2021 release. He will now assist HC Dan Campbell with replay reviews, rules interpretations, and “other gameday trends.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/25

September 6th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Ely Allen

With our first slate of Sunday games tomorrow, we’ll see our first slew of standard gameday practice squad elevations. Here are today’s minor transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Each NFL team is granted up to two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad who are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from the situation with somebody like Crumedy in Carolina. With Mathis’ placement on injured reserve opening a spot on the 53-man roster, Crumedy has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will remain until he is cut or his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If a team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, the team will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under the new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

As the Dolphins await Jason Sanders‘ return from IR, Patterson was named the winner of a kicking audition with three other veteran kickers. Miami will be able to elevate him three times but will have to promote him to the active roster for any games between that and Sanders’ activation. Similarly, Prater will likely be on the same plan in Buffalo.

Haener’s stint on the Saints’ active roster was short-lived as the team decides to move forward with only two quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler will handle starting duties to begin the campaign with second-round rookie Tyler Shough serving as his backup.

NFC South Notes: Pitts, Otton, Saints, Young

September 6th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons rebuffed Kyle Pitts trade interest, though with the former top-five pick set to begin a contract year, it is possible the franchise could revisit this topic. Pitts was mentioned as “relatively available” this offseason, with the price of a Day 2 pick floated. No Pitts extension is planned, but a franchise tag would not be out of the question if the tight end puts together a good contract year. Still, teams indeed viewed the Florida alum as available in the past, per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. The Falcons stumbling out of the blocks this season could reignite the prospect of Pitts being traded during his fifth-year option season.

How Pitts’ salary would be divvied up in a trade would be a key component in negotiations, as he is tied to a $10.88MM option salary. The later in the season he is dealt, the less money an acquiring team would be responsible for. The Falcons having Pitts would give Michael Penix Jr. a fairly talented weapon, but if the team intends to make the 6-foot-6 pass catcher a one-contract player, it would make sense to listen to offers before the November deadline.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Buccaneers extensions for Luke Goedeke and Zyon McCollum have surfaced this week, but the team appears through with its preseason paydays. No Cade Otton deal is expected, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Otton would join Pitts as promising TE options in 2026, barring any franchise tags. The former fourth-round pick is interested in a Bucs extension, and Tampa Bay is rather good at retaining its own. Next year’s tight end market would stand to include, barring extensions or tags, big names. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku and Isaiah Likely‘s contracts expire after this season. Otton, Pitts and Likely would be of particular interest as second-contract-seeking players. Otton, 26, is looking to build on a career-best 600 yards and four touchdown catches last season.
  • Pro Football Focus rated Alontae Taylor as the NFL’s worst full-time cornerback last season, ranking him 116th. The former second-round pick’s perception within the league appears different, as Fowler notes the Saints CB is on the extension radar. New Orleans jettisoned Marshon Lattimore at last year’s deadline and lost Paulson Adebo — a player the team hoped to re-sign — in free agency. Although the Saints drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry in Round 2 last year, they appear interested in a second Taylor contract. He has started 37 career games entering his platform year.
  • Chase Young is again dealing with injury trouble. The recently re-signed defensive end, who bounced back from neck surgery to play 17 games last season, will miss the Saints’ opener with a calf injury. Young joins Trevor Penning, who has been battling turf toe, in being ruled out.
  • The Falcons have not ruled out Darnell Mooney for Week 1, but the team has been coy regarding the deep threat’s status after a late-July shoulder injury. In other Mooney matters, the team restructured his contract. Atlanta created $6MM in cap space by restructuring Mooney’s deal, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Mooney is tied to a three-year, $39MM contract — a deal that includes three void years. The sixth-year receiver’s restructure ballooned his 2026 cap hit to $18.05MM.
  • Last September, Bryce Young‘s January 2026 extension-eligible date did not appear to mean much. The Panthers were moving toward a 2025 separation with a QB they benched. Young’s second-half turnaround last season, though, has the prospect of a 2026 payday back in play, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. The Panthers believe the undersized passer has turned a corner in terms of confidence and competitiveness, and Carolina believes the improvement he showed late last year will carry over. While it would be perhaps more newsworthy if the Panthers didn’t believe Young would sustain this form, the prospect of an extension for the 5-foot-10 QB is still notable considering the separation rumors that engulfed him less than a year ago.

Eagles, Panthers Showed Interest In Micah Parsons Trade

September 5th, 2025 at 10:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Last night’s season opener began the post-Micah Parsons era for the Cowboys. Dallas’ decision to trade away the All-Pro one week before their regular season began came as a shock to many and took place after interest from a number of suitors was shown.

Following Parsons’ trade request, teams around the league did not view a swap as realistic. Dallas’ stance shifted over time, however, and calls came in before the team informed Parsons and his camp he would be play out his fifth-year option in 2025 or be dealt. Further details have now emerged regarding the trade market which took shape.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Eagles made a “strong push” to acquire Parsons this offseason. That comes as little surprise, of course. General manager Howie Roseman has a reputation for being aggressive in pursuing impact roster moves, and adding Parsons to the fold would have helped offset the losses Philadelphia suffered in the pass rush department during free agency. Josh Sweat took a Cardinals pact on the open market while Brandon Graham retired and Bryce Huff was traded to the 49ers.

The Eagles made a pair low-cost investments in Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche, inking both to one-year pacts. Their projected impacts pale in comparison to what Parsons would have been counted on to contribute, of course. In any case, a homecoming for the Pennsylvania native and Penn State product did not receive serious consideration on Dallas’ part. As Schefter notes – and as Jerry Jones stated in his post-draft press conference last week – the Cowboys were not willing to trade Parsons within the division.

In addition to the Packers, other NFC suitors were present in this case. One of those was the Panthers, per Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler. He notes Carolina called about Parsons and showed interest in a potential trade. No formal offer was made by general manager Dan Morgan, however. The Cowboys targeted a defensive tackle upgrade when evaluating partners for a Parsons trade, meaning Derrick Brown would have been involved in any serious discussions had they taken place. The Panthers opted to keep Brown (instead of wideout D.J. Moore) in place when trading with the Bears for the No. 1 pick in 2023, so it comes as no surprise Carolina was not as aggressive as other suitors.

Fowler adds Parsons was “intrigued” by a few destinations, with the Packers being one of them. Before his trade (and record-breaking extension) was in place, though, the 26-year-old also showed interest in joining the Chiefs and Ravens. Per Fowler, Kansas City was never truly in contention to pull off the move. Baltimore, like other teams, would have been hard-pressed to fit a Parsons deal into future cap planning; the Ravens also would have faced a logjam along the edge had no outside linebackers been sent back in the trade.

In the end, the Packers agreed to send Kenny Clark and their first-round pick in the next two drafts to the Cowboys for Parsons. The effects of the deal will be felt by both organizations for years to come, while other suitors will move forward with their current setups on the edge.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/5/25

September 5th, 2025 at 7:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor transactions as we await Game 2 of the 2025 season, including today’s standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Chiefs and Chargers:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Each NFL team is granted two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad that are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from a transaction like we saw earlier today wherein wide receiver Justin Shorter was signed to the Raiders’ active roster from their practice squad. He is now permanently on the team’s 53-man roster until they cut him or until his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If the team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, team’s will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under a new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

Panthers’ Damarri Mathis Suffers ACL Tear

September 5th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Damarri Mathis will not be available to the Panthers in 2025. The fourth-year cornerback has suffered an ACL tear, head coach Dave Canales said on Friday (via ESPN’s David Newton).

Mathis spent his first three seasons with the Broncos, and he was in Denver through the summer. The former fourth-rounder was among the team’s roster cuts last week, and he hit the waiver wire as a result. The Panthers added Mathis via a claim.

Instead of having him available for the final season of his rookie deal, however, Carolina will be shorthanded at the cornerback spot. The 26-year-old made 43 appearances and 13 starts over the course of his Broncos tenure. Adding to those totals would have helped Mathis’ market value ahead of his first trip to free agency next spring. Now, his attention will turn to surgery and a lengthy rehab process.

The injury will deal a blow to Mathis’ earning potential on the open market. The Missouri product emerged as a trade candidate last season, but Denver elected to keep him in the fold through the remainder of the campaign. Mathis was not a regular contributor on defense, but he chipped in on special teams with a snap share of 44% in that regard. At least a part-time role in both capacities could have been in store with the Panthers.

Instead, Carolina will move forward with a cornerback group led once again by Jaycee Horn after his massive extension was worked out in the offseason. Michael Jackson, Akayleb Evans, Chau Smith-Wade and Corey Thornton round out the team’s depth chart at the position. Mathis will head to injured reserve, and it will be interesting to see if the Panthers pursue an addition in his absence.

Carolina entered Friday with roughly $14MM in cap space. As a result, a low-cost addition could be feasible. Kendall Fuller and Mike Hilton are among the most experienced options still on the market, while Stephon Gilmore is still unsigned. Gilmore – whose most recent Pro Bowl season (2021) came with the Panthers – said in July he would be open to continuing his career in 2025, but only under the right circumstances. It remains to be seen if a Carolina reunion would qualify, but in any case the team could stand to add depth in the secondary.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/25

September 2nd, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as we inch a day closer to the start of the regular season:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived (with injury settlement): CB JayVian Farr, CB Roman Parodie

The 49ers are doing a bit of shuffling in their receiving corps, calling up Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad and cutting Gage. According to multiple sources, it’s believed that Gage will be immediately signed back to the team’s practice squad to remain with the team.

Haener was brought back to the active roster in New Orleans after being waived at the roster cut deadline. The Saints had three quarterbacks, with Iowa Western rookie practice squad passer Hunter Dekkers, but adding Haener gives the team a bit more experienced depth, if only barely, in what may be the league’s youngest quarterbacks room.

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