4 Panthers starters sidelined for Tuesday’s practice

After a Thursday night loss at Pittsburgh and a long weekend, the Carolina Panthers returned to practice Tuesday morning minus a couple of starters.

Defensive end Julius Peppers and center Ryan Kalil both had veteran days, head coach Ron Rivera confirmed.

Cornerback James Bradberry was also absent because of an illness, Rivera said. The team is not required to issue a formal injury report until Wednesday.

Receiver Torrey Smith, who has missed practice since injuring his knee in Week 7, has been running on a treadmill and said in the locker room that he’s optimistic about his progress and chances to return to the field.

“Yeah, way better,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be out there tomorrow.”

Smith added that he hopes to be cleared to return to practice this week, though Rivera has maintained that the team does not have a timeline for his recovery.

“If it was the Super Bowl, I probably would have been way more aggressive with everything,” Smith said. “But it’s important to be smart, and make sure you’re doing the right thing.”

Smith indicated that the cold, rainy weather in Charlotte on Tuesday was a factor in him not practicing. The team has practiced outdoors since its inception, which is a rarity in the modern NFL.

Panthers owner David Tepper, who was present on the sideline of Tuesday’s practice, hinted at the timeline for an indoor facility when speaking with reporters before Thursday night’s loss at Pittsburgh.

“Let me just say this, I will be very surprised if we aren’t playing indoors before the end of next summer, for practice somehow or another,“ Tepper said coyly, adding that he wasn’t going to reveal a location of any potential facility just yet.

Smith, who played in cold-weather cities Baltimore and Philidelphia, is all for it.

“(Tepper) knows, he comes from an environment where the weather was, it gets rough up there in Pittsburgh,” he said. “It comes at different times, especially later in the year where it can affect your game preparation. ... I see his sense of urgency in that. That’s something that I know is tough for him to comprehend, you know, how an NFL team doesn’t have an indoor (facility).

“Especially in the Carolinas, where you can get a little mix of everything. But at the end of the day, we’re all grown. We go out there, practice in the cold and do what you have to do to win games.”

Carolina plays indoors Sunday at Detroit.