Panthers put key receiver on IR and make 8 other roster moves ahead of Bengals game
It turns out the Carolina Panthers will be without one of their top receivers for a while.
Adam Thielen, the team’s veteran wideout and only 1,000-yard receiver last year, has been placed on the team’s injured reserve list this week with a hamstring injury, the team announced Tuesday. That means that the 34-year-old receiver will be out at least for the next four games.
Thielen injured his hamstring on the last offensive play of the first half of Sunday’s contest against the Raiders. With 33 seconds left in the half, quarterback Andy Dalton connected with Thielen for a 31-yard touchdown — one that featured Thielen diving for the ball as multiple Raiders defenders closed in on him. The catch was electrifying and gave the Panthers a two-touchdown lead heading into halftime, which the team later rode to a 36-22 win and the first victory of the Dave Canales era in Carolina.
The celebration from the play was dampened, though, as Thielen was helped off the field and thereafter helped to the locker room. He was downgraded to out after halftime — and while he said he was hopeful to return quickly postgame, he was also cautious due to the nature of hamstring injuries. He said he was scheduled to get an MRI on Monday.
Thielen finished Sunday with three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. He sits as the team’s second-leading receiver now — only behind Diontae Johnson after Johnson’s huge eight-catch, 122-yard, one-touchdown day against the Raiders. The former Minnesota Viking is also coming off a 100-reception, 1,000-plus yard season in 2023.
Panthers address who will step up in Adam Thielen’s stead
The Thielen news leaves the Panthers’ wide receiver room understandably a bit thin.
There are three other guys at the wide receiver spot who are pretty much set in stone. Johnson is still at the “X” spot — the No. 1 option. Second-year starter Jonathan Mingo is also expected to get a bunch of reps, just as he did Sunday when he notched 49 snaps (66% of all offensive plays). And rookie Xavier Legette had a great debut in Week 1 and flashed for a 35-yard catch in Week 3 on 44 snaps (59%); he, too, will likely see a boost in responsibility with Thielen sidelined for the time being.
Behind them, though, the Panthers had to do some maneuvering. And they did. Carolina promoted wide receiver Jalen Coker from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, as The Charlotte Observer first reported. Coker is a rookie undrafted free agent but was among the most coveted of UDFAs and flashed his potential through training camp and the preseason — so much so that he actually made the team’s initial 53-man roster. He’s been working with the scout team through the first three weeks of the NFL season.
Other injury news: Starting safety also moves to the injured reserve list
Moving Thielen to the injured reserve list and promoting Coker are just two of the nine moves the Panthers made on Tuesday afternoon. Here’s a look at the rest of them:
▪ The Panthers placed starting safety Jordan Fuller on injured reserve. He, like Thielen, sustained a hamstring injury on Sunday against the Raiders. He too will miss the next four weeks at minimum. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has said a few times that he believes he has three “starting-caliber” safeties on the team — so the Panthers should be OK depth-wise with Xavier Woods and Nick Scott fulfilling safety duties.
▪ Still, the Panthers are promoting safety Demani Richardson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad for an extra safety — and one who flashed for the Panthers all preseason. Richardson initially made the team’s 53-man roster. They also promoted defensive back Russ Yeast from the practice squad.
▪ The team elected to waive tight end Messiah Swinson, who they picked up before Week 1 to help with tight end depth as Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas battled injury. Swinson had to be on the 53-man roster for three weeks after being poached from the Green Bay practice squad, in accordance with league rules. He’ll now be subject to waivers.
▪ Carolina also released outside linebacker Eku Leota, who accounted for one of the team’s five sacks through three weeks, from the practice squad. He’s been put through the proverbial roster wringer the past few weeks. The team also signed defensive backs Alex Cook (who played with the Panthers in the preseason) and Justin Hardee to the practice squad.
This story was originally published September 24, 2024 at 1:45 PM.
