Today’s only practice squad update:
Carolina Panthers
The veteran tight end who converted from wide receiver is returning to Carolina. He was recently waived in order to make room for wide receiver Adam Thielen, who was activated off of injured reserve this week.
Adam Thielen‘s 21-day activation window was set to close Wednesday. As a result, Carolina will indeed move the veteran wide receiver back onto its 53-man roster.
The Panthers officially activated Thielen from IR, burning one of their IR-return moves in order to have the 34-year-old pass catcher back in the fold. Had the team passed on doing so, Thielen would have spent the rest of the season on IR. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver has worked his way back from a hamstring injury.
Having not played since Week 3, Thielen has missed much of his second Panthers season. The team had turned to Andy Dalton before the Raiders game that featured Thielen’s injury but has since traded Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo and then turned back to Bryce Young. While rumblings of the team giving Dalton another chance emerged following the thumb injury he sustained in a car accident, Young has guided the team to back-to-back wins.
It would stand to reason, based on the investment the Panthers made in the former Heisman winner, the younger passer would remain at the controls. Thielen is now back in the picture to help Young develop. The longtime Vikings starter arrived, via a three-year deal worth $25MM, to help Young develop last year. He was about the only positive component on the 2023 Panthers’ offense, which faceplanted during Frank Reich and Thomas Brown‘s stewardship. Thielen still picked up his third 1,000-yard season and entered this year with a fully guaranteed salary.
As could be expected given Thielen’s age and Carolina’s place during this rebuild, the 12th-year wideout came up in trade rumors. Thielen was mentioned along with Johnson and Mingo as trade candidates, with a move to a contender believed to be a development the second-year Panther would appreciate. Prior to acquiring Mike Williams, the Steelers showed interest. No trade happened, and Thielen is now positioned to work with first-rounder Xavier Legette and rookie UDFA Jalen Coker as Carolina’s top receivers.
It is possible Thielen could still be cut, in an effort to send him to a contending team, but he would hit the waiver wire if dropped since the trade deadline has passed. A team would be responsible for just less than $2MM in the event of a Thielen claim. For now, the possession target — who had displayed frustration about the state of the team’s passing attack in September — remains a Panther ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Chiefs.
The Panthers cut wideout-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews once again to clear a roster spot for Thielen. The former WR starter is in his second season with the Panthers.
Today’s minor NFL moves including standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday’s slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh Steelers
A transaction mainstay since being included in the 2017 trade that brought Ronald Darby to Philadelphia from Buffalo, Matthews has since moved to tight end and been with the Panthers since 2023. Matthews later made it back to Philly and has been with five NFL teams since being a 2014 second-round pick. He started one game for the TE-depleted Panthers this season. Franks is a converted quarterback who has played in Carolina’s first two games as a gameday elevation. A 2023 Panthers UDFA, Leota logged a 2024 start and recorded a sack. But the second-year player is now on the wire.
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
Schlottmann suffered what Brian Daboll called a long-term injury. Elaborating on the injury Schlottmann suffered in practice Wednesday, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the veteran backup O-lineman will rehab a broken fibula. The injury is expected to shut down the free agency addition for at least two months. No surgery is on tap for Schlottmann. The Giants considering him for activation may depend on their injury situation, as teams only have eight regular-season IR activations. The Giants have seven presently, as they used a summer IR designation on linebacker Matthew Adams on Tuesday.
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.
Atlanta Falcons
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
Carolina Panthers
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
Waived from IR:
Signed to practice squad:
New Orleans Saints
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
The Panthers made a number of moves on Tuesday to get their roster down to 53. Carolina moved rookie running back Jonathon Brooks to the reserve/NFI list, likewise sidelining edge rushers D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno for the start of the year via a reserve/PUP designation. Carolina also moved on from wideout Terrace Marshall after failing to find a trade partner. Cornerback Dane Jackson and safety Sam Franklin will begin the year on injured reserve, but they have been designated for return and will not count on the opening 53-man roster.
Here are the team’s other moves ahead of the cutdown deadline:
Ford signed as a free agent earlier this month, giving the Panthers another option at the safety position. That spot has seen considerable turnover this offseason, and Ford could find himself being brought back on a practice squad deal. Failing that, the veteran of 86 games and 21 starts will aim to land a gig with a new team ahead of Week 1.
Choosing to move on from four tight ends is a strong sign of confidence in the trio still on the 53-man roster, a group which includes two recent draft additions. Ja’Tavion Sanders (fourth round, 2024) and Tommy Tremble (third round, 2021) will be joined by veteran Ian Thomas at the position this season, the first with Dave Canales in place as head coach.
While Jackson and Franklin are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, Davis and Gill are not. They will be sidelined for the entire 2024 campaign as a result of today’s decision. Bother players are pending free agents, and their respective injuries will of course hinder their market value next spring.
Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
NOVEMEBER 18: Horn will remain on injured reserve for now, but Thomas has been activated, per a team announcement. The latter will have a large role to play immediately upon return since Hurst is out with a concussion. Thomas will aim to give Carolina a needed complementary option in the passing game late in the year with the jobs of several members of the organization potentially on the line.
NOVEMBER 13: The Panthers have been hit hard on the injury front this season, but a pair of reinforcements are on the way. The team announced on Monday that cornerback Jaycee Horn and tight end Ian Thomas have returned to practice. 
Both players’ 21-day activation windows have been opened as a result. They must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve. Horn has been eligible to return for some time now, but it was clear when he was initially placed on IR that a lengthy absence would be coming. A hamstring injury has kept the 23-year-old sidelined since Week 1.
Horn named remaining healthy as a key goal for his third season in Carolina, but injuries have remained a major factor in his young career. The former first-rounder was limited to just three games as a rookie, and he missed another four contests last year. After recording 53 tackles and three interceptions in 2022, though, his return will be a welcomed development for a Panther defense which, in his absence, has delivered a strong showing against the pass so far.
Thomas’ return will add depth to Carolina’s TE room, one which has been led by free agent addition Hayden Hurst. Thomas – who has missed the past four games due to a calf injury – showed promise as a rookie with 333 receiving yards, but he has yet to eclipse the 200-yard mark since then. The 27-year-old logged a career-low 24% snap share during his five games in 2023 prior to being placed on IR. Once back on the field, he will offer a complementary passing option as well as another contributor with respect to run blocking.
In anticipation of bringing Horn and Thomas back onto the 53-man roster, the Panthers also announced a number of other moves on Monday. Defensive back Matthias Farley and tight end Jordan Matthews have been let go, and they are now subject to waivers. Carolina also signed outside linebacker Eku Leota to the active roster since he had been designated a gameday elevation from the practice squad the maximum three times. The return of Horn and Thomas will leave the Panthers with four IR activations for the rest of the season.