The Carolina Panthers just dropped a bombshell on their secondary, moving cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson to injured reserve. This isn’t just a bump in the road; it’s a massive blow that’s going to stretch their defensive backfield extremely thin for the foreseeable future.
The Injury Bug Bites Hard at Mint Street
Man, the Panthers are dealing with a real injury headache this week. While Horn and Jackson are the big names heading to IR, the team’s still waiting on the official word from Friday’s injury report, but a bunch of other guys are already limping. Wide receiver Jalen Coker didn’t even practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday because of a quad issue. His fellow wideout, Xavier Legette, missed both Wednesday and Thursday practices completely with a knee problem. Upfront, offensive guard Damien Lewis sat out both days with an elbow injury, and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, after missing Wednesday with a concussion, was at least a limited participant on Thursday. Even their second-round rookie defensive tackle, Lee Hunter, popped up as limited on Thursday. It’s a rough scene out there right now for Carolina.
Scrambling for Roster Answers
With all these guys banged up, the Panthers front office has been working overtime on transactions. Beyond placing Horn and Jackson on IR, which, again, is a massive hit, they also waived linebacker Claudin Cherelus with an injury settlement. The dude was in his fourth season with the team, racking up 61 tackles in 35 games on defense and special teams before a shoulder injury sidelined him earlier this season.
To try and shore things up, Carolina made some moves to the active roster and practice squad. They signed offensive guard Torricelli Simpkins from their practice squad to the active roster. This guy played his college ball for South Carolina in 2024, then spent last year with the Saints where he started two of 15 games and played 179 offensive snaps before being released. He just joined the Panthers practice squad in September and now he’s already on the main roster. They also brought back offensive guard Saahdiq Charles to the practice squad. Charles was a fourth-round pick for Washington back in 2020, played 35 games and nearly 1,200 offensive snaps there. After briefly retiring in 2024, he signed with Carolina last year, playing two special teams snaps. He was waived with an injury settlement in August after signing a reserve/future deal in January, and now he’s back. Finally, cornerback Robert Rochell was also signed to the practice squad.
It’s a tough spot for the Panthers with so many key players sidelined or hurting. Losing two starting corners like Horn and Jackson is brutal, and they’ll be hoping those guys can get healthy and back on the field later this year. For now, it’s all about who steps up and how these new faces can fill the gaps.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
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