Panthers expect these injured contributors to return soon amid first win streak
Dave Canales’ trademark optimism feels warranted entering Week 7.
His team is on its first winning streak of the season, and his crew is at .500 for the first time in his head-coaching tenure following a 30-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Panthers are 3-3 and only getting healthier down the stretch of the first half the season.
According to Canales, he’s expecting several contributors to return in the coming weeks, including wide receiver Jalen Coker (quad), tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (ankle), running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) and center Austin Corbett (knee).
“That picture kind of keeps changing,” Canales said Monday about the team’s culture. “We’ve been affected by injuries, with different people coming to us, and of course, this week we’re going to have few more guys that are going to have an opportunity to come help us and try to find that chemistry.”
Canales said Coker, who had his 21-day practice window activated last week, is “really close” to a return. He could potentially line up against the New York Jets this weekend.
“This week is going to be a big week for him, to really prove physically, to prove that he can do it and handle a load that we’re expecting,” Canales said about Coker.
The second-year wide receiver said working as a full participant last week helped with his onboarding process after a long layoff.
“I feel really good about it,” Coker told The Observer on Monday. “Being able to get that extra week, kind of get my feet under me, get a feel again — it’s been 40-something days since I’ve played — so it was good.”
Status of other Panthers’ players
Canales also expressed optimism for the returns of Sanders, Hubbard and defensive end Tershawn “Turk” Wharton (toe).
Canales said the team plans to open Corbett’s 21-day practice window this week. Corbett suffered a knee injury in Week 2 and was immediately placed on injured reserve. With his window being activated, he will return during his first week of eligibility.
“Obviously, it was my left knee again, so ACL and MCL (surgeries) previous history, right?” Corbett said. “The initial testing on the field was like everything, ACL, previous surgeries were still intact. But it swelled up so fast that it was hard to tell. So, we had to monitor over these last couple of weeks, and letting it all take care of itself, let the body do its thing.
“It’s been a good four weeks, progressed really well, and we’ll be able to open the window. You can only do so much on the side in practice when you’ve got a 200-pound strength coach, or whatever, try to push against me. ... You feel good with that, but whatever it is, it’s good to be out there and play some real football, and it’s a much shorter time in rehab than I’m used to.”
Corbett’s return comes with some intrigue, as his understudy, Cade Mays, has played well in relief over the past four weeks. Mays and Corbett battled for the starting center job this summer, and Canales named Corbett the starter during the second week of the preseason.
However, since Mays took over the center job in Week 3, the offense has looked much more fluid, and the team is 3-1 during that span.
Perhaps the Panthers could look at Corbett as a potential long-term option at right guard — his old position — though fellow veteran Brady Christensen has played well in his first two starts at the position.
Quick hits
- The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday. Callahan went 4-19 during his less-than-two-year tenure with the Titans. Callahan was hired during the same 2024 coaching cycle as Canales. The Panthers virtually interviewed Callahan, who at the time was the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator, before he agreed to take the Titans job in January 2024. Canales was hired a few days later. Canales is 8-15 during his tenure thus far.
- After an 0-2 start, the Panthers are 3-1 over the past four weeks. The offense averaged 25 points per game during that stretch. The defense is averaging an allowance of 23.25 points per game.
- Quarterback Bryce Young has 11 total touchdowns (10 pass, 1 run) through six weeks this season. He didn’t reach that total until Week 16 last year, as he was benched from Week 3 to Week 7.
- Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee attended the Panthers’ win over the Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. He said he expects to see “rowdy” crowds at the Spectrum Center this season because of the energy at the Panthers game: “Actually, I was at the Panthers game yesterday, and I thought the energy in there was lit. And I hope that we can see a lot of the same carryover once basketball season starts, too. And I know that they won’t disappoint. I thought all year last year we had great fan support, and the belief in the team, and the direction that it’s going, it’s strong. So, we’ll start the season the same way.”
The Observer’s Rod Boone contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM.
