Panthers secondary getting a boost from player designated to return from IR?

After the Carolina Panthers allowed numerous big passing plays during their recent three-game skid, help could finally be on the way.

The team designated safety Da’Norris Searcy to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, meaning the team can activate him any time in the next 21 days. He practiced Wednesday after missing Carolina’s past eight games while in the concussion protocol.

“We’ll continue to give him a week to really see where he is physically, and then we’ll go from there,” coach Ron Rivera said of Searcy on Wednesday. “We have a couple of safeties obviously that are veteran guys that have been a little bit nicked up, so we’ll have to see.”

Searcy was signed this offseason to fill Kurt Coleman’s spot in the starting defensive backfield, after Coleman was released in February and subsequently signed with the New Orleans Saints. But an odd hit in the team’s second preseason game against the Miami Dolphins landed Searcy in the concussion protocol, forcing him to miss the team’s “dress rehearsal” game against the New England Patriots a week later.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound safety returned to practice on Aug. 28, 11 days after the initial injury. He re-joined the starting lineup until another hit during Carolina’s Week 2 loss to Atlanta landed him back in the concussion protocol.

After that second concussion in the span of 30 days, the team opted to place Searcy on injured reserve. The team signed veteran safety Eric Reid to fill Searcy’s spot less than two weeks later.

“DBs can always use extra depth,” Reid said Wednesday. “The thing that I think doesn’t get talked about enough is, when a receiver runs a go route, they come out the game. DBs run back to the huddle. So it always helps to have extra DBs on the field.

“He’s helped me learn the plays when I got here. Just supportive. I’m happy to see him back out there.”

When asked if Searcy could play Sunday against Tampa Bay, Rivera said the team is still evaluating the safety’s progress.

“You never know,” Rivera said. “Again, we have to look at some things, obviously, but we also have to see how he feels at the end of the week. I mean, this is his first real action back on the field, so we’ve got to be smart about it and just make sure he is ready to roll physically in terms of football movements.”

Contingency plan at cornerback

After injuring his quadriceps on the first play of Sunday’s 30-27 loss to Seattle, rookie cornerback Donte Jackson was back at practice Wednesday working on the sideline with a trainer.

After Jackson left the game, second-year cornerback Corn Elder and slot corner Captain Munnerlyn handled coverage duties on the outside. Elder gave up a game-tying 35-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Munnerlyn gave up a 43-yard completion with less than two minutes to play that set up Seattle’s game-winning field goal.

The Panthers activated cornerback Lorenzo Doss off the practice squad on Tuesday (corresponding to placing receiver/returner Damiere Byrd on season-ending IR with an arm injury). When asked if Doss was in contention to start Sunday, Rivera said the team was preparing Doss to play versus the Buccaneers.

“It’s kind of interesting because the situation we’ve been in with some of the injuries, only really being able to carry four corners into a game is pretty much what you typically do,” Rivera said, “but with Donte now and his situation, we have to look at possibly carrying five now. So we’ll see how all that unfolds on Friday and Saturday.”

Jackson was listed on Wednesday’s injury report as a non-participant, but told reporters in the locker room that his quad was feeling good.

Pass-catchers miss practice, too

Receiver Devin Funchess, who missed Sunday’s loss to Seattle with a back injury, missed practice Wednesday for non-injury related reasons, Rivera confirmed.

That said, Funchess was still listed as a non-participant Wednesday both for his personal absence and his back.

“Again, just from last week, there obviously is a situation and we’ll see how he is physically when he gets back,” Rivera said of Funchess. “The hard part is he had to take personal time, and we’ll see how he is when we see him tomorrow.”

Funchess wasn’t the only Wednesday DNP among Carolina’s pass-catchers, though.

Neither receiver Curtis Samuel (hamstring) nor tight end Chris Manhertz (ankle) participated in practice.

As for the rest of the injury report, Reid (shoulder) did not practice but told reporters he has been dealing with an AC joint sprain and could play through the injury. Safety Mike Adams, tight end Greg Olsen, center Ryan Kalil, and defensive end Julius Peppers all had veteran rest days and did not practice Wednesday.

The team also had three limited participants in practice — defensive tackle Kawann Short (calf), receiver Torrey Smith (knee), and quarterback Cam Newton (right shoulder). Smith played against Seattle after missing four games with that same knee injury, although he did not receive a target against the Seahawks. Newton continued with the “new normal” Rivera and coaches have planned for him, where he limits throwing during the week to stay fresher for Sundays.