Carolina Panthers rookie receiver placed on injured reserve ahead of season finale
Another rookie for the Carolina Panthers has seen his season end early.
Jonathan Mingo, the Panthers’ second-round draft pick (39th overall) in 2023, will miss the team’s regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday after being placed on injured reserve, the team announced Tuesday. The rookie wide receiver is out with a foot injury.
He is the second heralded rookie whose season ended before Week 18, joining offensive lineman Chandler Zavala with the unlucky distinction.
Offensive lineman J.D. Direnzo was activated to the 53-man roster in a corresponding move.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound former Ole Miss wideout was drafted in the second round to furnish playmaking around rookie quarterback Bryce Young. In 15 games (14 starts), Mingo caught 43 of 85 targets for 418 yards and failed to score a touchdown. His season-long catch went for 40 yards.
Mingo’s underproduction wasn’t for a lack of playing time. The receiver regularly notched the most snap counts on the team — even more than veteran Adam Thielen, whose strong campaign has made for a bright spot in an otherwise miserable season.
That was true again last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mingo played 53 offensive snaps (98%), more than Thielen (50) and DJ Chark (45) and even running back Chuba Hubbard (38).
Among the other roster moves the Panthers announced Tuesday:
▪ Kicker Matthew Wright was added to the practice squad and could be elevated to the active roster later this week. This moves comes a few days after the loss to the Jaguars, when kicker Eddy Piñeiro suffered an injury pregame and limited the Panthers’ options in the red zone. Wright signed with Carolina Aug. 8 and was released after the preseason concluded.
▪ Veteran running back Mike Boone was added to the practice squad, too. He was most recently with the Houston Texans before being released Week 16.
This story was originally published January 2, 2024 at 4:46 PM.
