Panthers WRs Diontae Johnson (rib) and Adam Thielen (hamstring) have been ruled out for Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. Johnson has been battling multiple injuries throughout the season. It's not the worst thing in the world that he's missing this game against stud CB Patrick Surtain with QB Bryce Young under center. We'll see if Johnson makes it back for Week 9. Thielen just returned to practice this week after coming off IR and isn't ready for game action yet. The Panthers will trot out Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Jonathan Mingo, and David Moore as their top four WRs this weekend. They'll struggle to score points.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen is expected to miss "some time" with the hamstring injury he suffered in the Week 3 win over the Raiders, according to insider Jordan Schultz. "An exact timetable is currently unclear, but he will be out a little," Schultz adds.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen injured a hamstring on his 31-yard TD catch near the end of the first half of Sunday's game vs. the Raiders. He's officially questionable to return. Thielen's absence will mean more playing time for WRs Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo, who had been splitting snaps.
Update: Thielen has been ruled out.
Panthers WR Xavier Legette returned to practice today after suffering a foot injury a week ago. His MRI results were negative for a fracture and it appears Legette is back and healthy.
Panthers WR Xavier Legette is considered "day-to-day" with a foot injury he suffered on Sunday, according to The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye. Legette had an MRI that ruled out a fracture in the injured foot.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo has earned praise from those around the first week of training camp, showing improved route-running and a strong grasp of the new offense. Former Panthers WR Steve Smith Sr. also revealed this week that he worked with the former second-round pick over the summer.
Panthers HC Dave Canales said Wednesday that WR Diontae Johnson will be featured in the offense.
The Panthers are making a surprise choice in hiring former Buccaneers OC Dave Canales as HC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Canales arrives after spending just one year with the Bucs. But that season seems to have revived QB Baker Mayfield's career. Overall, the Bucs ranked just 20th in points, 23rd in total yards, tied for 19th in yards per play, and 20th in offensive DVOA. Before that, Canales spent 13 years coaching offense in Seattle, including three years as WRs coach, five as QBs coach, and two as passing-game coordinator. Canales drew praise for his role in QB Geno Smith's 2022 breakout. His work with Smith and Mayfield almost certainly excited the Panthers, who likely envision Canales as the guy to help QB Bryce Young rebound from a troubling rookie season. Of course, Canales goes from QBs coach for Smith and OC for Mayfield to HC in Carolina. So be careful about assuming too much from his influence. We'll see who Canales brings in to fill out his coaching staff and what the Panthers can add to an offense that sported unimpressive talent in 2023 (and doesn't have a 2024 first-round pick). This seems like a positive move for Young's dynasty outlook, but temper your excitement.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo has been placed on IR with a foot injury. We'll look for more details on the injury and whether it'll impact Mingo's offseason. But his rookie campaign was alarmingly bad. Mingo caught just 50.6% of his targets and averaged 9.7 yards per catch. He ranks 88th among 88 qualifying WRs in yards per target and 84th in yards per route. Mingo will be no more than a late-round flier in 2024 redrafts and is closer to a sell-low than a buy in dynasty.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo (Achilles) is not listed on the final Week 13 injury report. He was limited in Thursday’s practice but a full-go on Friday. He’ll play vs. the Bucs this weekend but would be a desperation fantasy start. The rookie has yet to top 10.2 PPR points in a game this season.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo was added to Thursday's injury report with an Achilles and limited in practice. Mid-week additions are always worrisome. Achilles injuries are always worrisome. We'll look for further updates on Mingo's situation.
The Panthers fired HC Frank Reich. He didn't even make it a full season in Carolina, going 1-10 in his 11 games. An offensive-minded coach, Reich's Panthers offense sits 30th in yards per game, 29th in points per game, and 31st in offensive DVOA. A poor group of skill-position players didn't help the cause, but Reich did very little to elevate the offense or rookie QB Bryce Young. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will finish out the season as interim HC, while OC Thomas Brown takes back over as play-caller. We'll see if the moves lead to any changes in player usage, but don't expect the offense to be noticeably better.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark (elbow) missed practice all week and is listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game vs. the Bears. His absence should elevate WR Terrace Marshall into a top-3 role. When Chark missed Week 1, Marshall ran a route on 96% of Carolina's pass plays and drew six targets for a 15.8% share. He turned that action into just two catches for 23 yards, though, and is really only in play in one-game DFS contests. Chark's absence could mean an extra target or two for WRs Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark (elbow) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Colts. He only got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday. A very fringey fantasy option to begin with, Chark shouldn’t be in Week 9 lineups. If he’s out or limited on Sunday, it could mean more action for WR Jonathan Mingo.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen ended Week 8’s contest vs. the Texans with 8 catches on 11 targets for a team-leading 72 receiving yards. The veteran has now exceeded the 70-yard mark for a fifth-straight game. His teammate Jonathan Mingo also had a fine outing, tallying 62 yards on 4 catches on Sunday. Thielen belongs entrenched in fantasy lineups as long as continues to dominate.
Panthers HC Frank Reich told his players Monday that he's handing over play-calling duties to OC Thomas Brown, NFL Network reports. The move comes as Carolina heads into a Week 7 bye. That should help with the transition, which has been rumored to be on the way since before this season started. Brown was a trendy head-coaching candidate last offseason but is in his first year as an NFL OC. So it's tough to know what to expect here. Brown did spend his first three NFL coaching seasons on Sean McVay's offensive staff, though. And it's hard to imagine the Panthers getting much less efficient on offense. They sit third-worst so far at 4.4 yards per play and third-worst in net yards per pass attempt. We'll see whether the switch produces any noticeable boost to offensive efficiency and/or fantasy upside.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen posted a team-leading 107 yards with a TD on 10 catches in Week 5 vs. the Lions. Fellow wideout D.J. Chark also found the end zone in the contest, but it’s rookie WR Jonathan Mingo that deserves a shoutout here. Mingo ranked second on the team in targets (7) and posted a season-high 48 receiving yards in the contest. Thielen is the only Panthers’ pass-catcher we’d be excited to start in Week 6 vs. the Dolphins, but Mingo is a name to keep an eye on in redraft leagues.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo (concussion) put in a full week of practice and isn’t listed on the final Week 5 injury report. He’ll be back for Sunday’s game vs. the Lions. The rookie totaled 19 targets but just eight catches over the first three games of the season.
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