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Xavier Legette Xavier Legette Past ankle injury
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 2:46 PM
Legette (ankle) is not listed on the Panthers' injury report Wednesday.
Analysis: Legette dealt with an ankle injury last month and was in a walking boot a little over two weeks ago, but he's past the issue and ready to go for the Panthers' season opener against Chicago on Sunday. Legette is expected to open the season as the WR3 behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. Expect the Panthers to use plenty of multiple-tight-end sets after adding Darren Waller, so that could limit Legette's playing time. |
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Chuba Hubbard Chuba Hubbard Not listed on injury report
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 2:43 PM
Hubbard (hamstring) was not listed on the Panthers' injury report Wednesday.
Analysis: Hubbard dealt with a hamstring injury last month but has been practicing since the calendar flipped to September. With Jonathon Brooks dealing with soreness in his groin for the past week and limited in practice, Hubbard looks like the front-runner for carries and touches out of the Carolina backfield to open the season. He's shaping up as a low-end RB2 against Chicago on Sunday. |
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Jonathon Brooks Jonathon Brooks Officially limited Wednesday
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 2:39 PM
Brooks (groin) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
Analysis: There's now an official body part attached to Brooks after the Panthers were forced to clarify the running back's injury on the team's first official injury report of the season. Brooks has been dealing with "soreness" for more than a week now, and the good news is it's not in his surgically-repaired knee. He was in full pads Wednesday, and a limited start to the week gives Brooks a good chance to play Sunday against the Bears. Chuba Hubbard is expected to open 2026 as the 1A to Brooks' 1B in the Carolina backfield. |
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Jonathon Brooks Jonathon Brooks Practicing in pads Wednesday
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 12:58 PM
Brooks (general soreness) is in uniform and pads at Wednesday's practice, Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: With Brooks having worked off to the side earlier in the week, his presence in uniform and pads would suggest he's trending toward being available for Sunday's season opener against the Bears. If he plays, Brooks is expected to split backfield work with Chuba Hubbard, rendering both little more than low-end RB2 fantasy options until one is able to separate from the other atop the depth chart. |
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Darren Waller Darren Waller Preparing to play Week 1
Mon, Sep 7, 2026, 1:21 PM
Waller said Monday that he's practicing as if he's going to play in Sunday's game against the Bears, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Waller signed with Carolina less than a month ago and has slowly been working his way into game-ready shape. He ran with the first-team offense in practice last week and appears ready to go for the Week 1 opener. The Panthers have a host of quality tight ends, but Waller has the most fantasy appeal of the bunch as a weapon in the red zone and on third downs. He's likely a better best-ball pick than reliable weekly play in redraft fantasy formats. |
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Jonathon Brooks Jonathon Brooks Works off to side Monday
Mon, Sep 7, 2026, 10:35 AM
Brooks (general soreness) was spotted working out of to the side during Monday's practice, Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Kaye notes that Brooks was spotted doing some running, so he wasn't completely limited to rehab work. According to Joe Person of The Athletic, Panthers head coach Dave Canales expressed optimism last week that Brooks would be ready to play in Sunday's season opener versus the Bears, and the running back's lack of involvement in Monday's practice isn't believed to have changed the Panthers' stance. Brooks missed the entire 2025 campaign after tearing the ACL in his right knee for the second time in his career in December 2024, but he was fully cleared in the spring and saw action in two preseason games. |
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Jalen Coker Jalen Coker Listed as starting WR
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 7:03 PM
Coker is listed as a starting wide receiver on the Panthers' unofficial depth chart.
Analysis: Despite going undrafted in 2024, Coker has made his presence felt through two pro campaigns, resulting in 65 catches (on 89 targets) for 872 yards and five touchdowns in 22 regular-season games. His defining moment of sorts occurred the last time he was on the field for a contest that counts, when he torched the Rams for 9-134-1 on 12 targets in a wild-card loss. Coker will continue to operate as a complementary option to No. 1 WR Tetairoa McMillan for QB Bryce Young in 2026. |
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Bryce Young Bryce Young Working with new play caller
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 6:55 PM
Young will be working with a new play caller in 2026 with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik taking those duties from head coach Dave Canales, Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Idzik is entering his third year as the Panthers' OC, and the switch in play callers has been described by Young as "aggressive, which is huge for us." The results in two preseason contests were tepid, to say the least, as Young completed eight of 11 passes for 67 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions while directing four drives. Having dynamic second-year WR Tetairoa McMillan at their disposal will help matters once the games begin to count Week 1, but the rest of the skill-position group leaves something to be desired. |
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AJ Dillon AJ Dillon Gets third spot in banged-up RB room
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 3:36 PM
Dillon secured the third running back spot on Carolina's 53-man roster, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Analysis: Dillon had been in a preseason battle with Trevor Etienne (ankle) for the third spot on the depth chart, but Etienne was placed on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return, ruling Etienne out for the first four games of the regular season at minimum. Dillon is behind Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) and Jonathon Brooks (soreness) in the backfield pecking order, but Dillon would have a clear path to playing time early in the season if either of the top two running backs missed any game action. |
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Darren Waller Darren Waller Jumps into team drills Wednesday
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 7:03 PM
Waller, who signed with the Panthers on Aug. 12, took part in team drills with the first-team offense Wednesday as the coaching staff looks to get him fully incorporated ahead of Week 1, Kassidy Hill of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: The veteran tight end has the potential to give Bryce Young the best pass-catching option at the position the 2023 first overall pick has had in his career, but Waller is still in the midst of learning head coach Dave Canales' offensive system. Canales had good things to say about Waller's progress Wednesday, saying he'd gotten in plenty of routes versus air and looked fast while doing so. Waller suited up for only nine regular-season games with the Dolphins in 2025 after a year in retirement, but he recorded 24 receptions for 283 yards and six touchdowns on 34 targets in that span. |
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Tetairoa McMillan Tetairoa McMillan In line for more slot work in 2026
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 1:20 PM
Coach Dave Canales suggested Wednesday that McMillan will work out of the slot more this season, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.
Analysis: If preseason usage means anything, it would seem Canales was putting the plan into action this summer. After playing just 15.3 percent of his regular-season offensive snaps out of the slot as a rookie, McMillan was in the slot on nine of 22 snaps (40.9 percent) across two preseason games. Moving to the slot more would give the 6-foot-5 McMillan significant size and speed advantages inside and allow for more easy "layup" style catches to get the ball in his hands quicker. The 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year figures to be the center of Carolina's offense this season after posting 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven scores across 17 regular-season contests last season. |
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Jonathon Brooks Jonathon Brooks Optimism for Week 1
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 12:23 PM
Coach Dave Canales said Wednesday he's "very optimistic" Brooks (soreness) will be available for Week 1 against the Bears, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.
Analysis: It's unclear if Brooks' soreness is in his surgically-repaired knee or elsewhere, but he's worked off to the side with trainers at practice each of the last two days. While Brooks has drawn a substantial amount of summer hype, Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) is expected to maintain a large role in the Carolina backfield. Neither running back may be a reliable fantasy bet out of the gates against Chicago. |
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Jonathon Brooks Jonathon Brooks Working off to side Wednesday
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 10:57 AM
Brooks (soreness) was working off to the side with a trainer during Wednesday's practice, Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Brooks has been dealing with some soreness in an undisclosed area for the past couple of days, as coach Dave Canales has been vague when describing the running back's issue. There doesn't seem to be any indication Brooks is in danger of missing Week 1 against the Bears in 11 days, but he's going to need to get back on the practice field next week. |
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Placed on injured reserve
Tue, Sep 1, 2026, 6:48 PM
The Panthers placed Christensen (hamstring) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Christensen will be required to miss the first four games of the regular season on IR before becoming eligible to return to the Panthers' active roster. Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports that general manager Dan Morgan said he expects Christensen to return at some point during the regular season, but it remains unclear when that will be. |
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Jonathon Brooks Jonathon Brooks Dealing with soreness Tuesday
Tue, Sep 1, 2026, 12:27 PM
Coach Dave Canales said Brooks missed practice Tuesday due to general soreness, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.
Analysis: It doesn't sound like anything serious for the 23-year-old running back after he played 20 offensive snaps during the preseason, rushing eight times for 23 yards and one touchdown. He also caught one pass for nine yards. Brooks is expected to form a committee with Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) this season, but there's a chance Brooks can separate some from Hubbard if he can show he's past the knee issues that ruined his 2024 and 2025 seasons after the Panthers selected Brooks in the second round of the 2024 Draft. Brooks is an upside pick in fantasy drafts. |
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Chuba Hubbard Chuba Hubbard Returns to practice Tuesday
Tue, Sep 1, 2026, 10:56 AM
Hubbard (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Hubbard's level of participation in practice will be monitored, but he's on the field with his helmet as the session gets underway. The veteran has been hampered by a hamstring injury sustained in mid-August, but has been progressing well. His participation on Tuesday is a good sign that he's trending in the right direction toward being ready for the start of the season. |
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Reverts to injured reserve
Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 8:04 PM
Hayes (undisclosed) reverted to the Panthers' injured-reserve list Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.
Analysis: The offensive tackle was waived/injured Aug. 29. Hayes will now need to reach an injury settlement with the Panthers to have a chance to play this season. The 2023 seventh-round pick of the Dolphins has dressed for one NFL regular-season game in his career. |
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Reverts to IR
Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 7:58 PM
Funderburk (undisclosed) reverted to the Panthers' injured-reserve list Monday, according to the NFL's official transaction log.
Analysis: The cornerback was waived/injured by Carolina a day ago. He will now need to reach an injury settlement with the team to have a chance to play in 2026. Funderburk recorded five tackles during the preseason. |
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Opening regular season on IR
Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 6:05 PM
The Panthers placed Martin-Scott (hamstring) on injured reserve with a designation to return Sunday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Martin-Scott picked up a hamstring injury during training camp practice, preventing him from playing in the Panthers' preseason finale against the Texans on Friday. The injury is severe enough for the South Carolina product to start the regular season on IR, meaning he won't be eligible to play until at least Week 6 against the Eagles on Sunday, Oct. 18. Martin-Scott mostly served on special teams for the Panthers in 2025, finishing with 21 tackles (seven solo) and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games. |
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Moved to reserve/NFI
Mon, Aug 31, 2026, 6:00 PM
The Panthers transferred Moton to the reserve/non-football illness list Sunday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Moton will miss at least the first four games of the regular season. He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lung before the beginning of training camp and is being treated using blood thinners. The earliest Moton can return is Week 6 against the Eagles, though the Panthers will likely take the cautious route with the 2017 second-rounder given the nature and severity of the injury. Monroe Freeling is in line to start at right tackle in Moton's absence. |
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