Panthers’ Devin Funchess misses second practice as Torrey Smith continues to improve

The Carolina Panthers (6-4) were without top wide receiver Devin Funchess during Thursday’s Thanksgiving practice, marking the second straight practice he’s missed with a back injury.

Head coach Ron Rivera said Funchess’ injury popped up following the Panthers’ 20-19 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and he’s still going through his treatment as he prepares for a Week 12 game against the Seattle Seahawks (5-5).

Rivera said offensive coordinator Norv Turner “will call his personnel groupings accordingly” if Funchess misses just his second game of a four-year career. The possible return of Torrey Smith could soften the blow of playing without the team’s biggest receiver.

“Torrey had a good day. Looked good, moved well,” Rivera said. “Showed some speed also, which was really good to see. We’ll see how he’s coming along and if Devin can’t play and Torrey’s ready to roll, he’ll take the sting out of it.”

Smith has missed Carolina’s past four games with a knee injury but began practicing on the side last week.

Smith previously indicated rainy weather and wet field conditions caused team trainers to take extra precaution with his snaps but he’s turned in back-to-back limited practices in more favorable conditions this week.

“Having a good field out there was really good for him the last couple days,” Rivera said. “It’s been good for all of us to be able to get out there and practice. It’s been kind of strange with the weather but we cope with it and we keep going.”

Offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse missed practice Thursday with an undisclosed illness, and Cam Newton (shoulder) joined Smith as a limited participant.

Mike Adams, Greg Olsen, Ryan Kalil and Julius Peppers all returned in full after taking rest days Wednesday. Mario Addison, James Bradberry and Shaq Thompson practiced after sitting out Wednesday with shoulder injuries.