Rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was added to the Carolina Panthers’ injury report on Friday due to a hamstring issue and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Dave Canales described the move as precautionary, stating, “Something popped up in practice, so you know we shut him down for part of it.”
Canales said the team will reassess McMillan before making a final decision. “We’ll look at him again tomorrow morning, though, just to make sure that he’s ready to go,” he said. “We’ll just take a look at him tomorrow and see where he’s at, hoping he can go.”
McMillan has made 41 catches for 558 yards and two touchdowns this season, ranking second among rookie receivers in yardage.
The Panthers have started Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker alongside McMillan. Jimmy Horn Jr. has seen more playing time recently, while special teams player Brycen Tremayne is also listed as questionable for this week’s matchup.
Hunter Renfrow has been inactive for three weeks but contributed earlier in the season with two touchdowns against Arizona and a key fourth-down conversion versus Dallas. Canales praised Renfrow: “I’m so glad Hunter’s here. Just the way that he goes about his work, what he’s been, his reputation speaks for itself. And you know the way that he works and the way that he’s focused and locked in, it really affects the group in a positive way.”
Dan Chisena, Ja’seem Reed, and Ainias Smith remain options on the practice squad.
Chandler Zavala’s return from an earlier injury was short-lived after suffering an elbow injury last Sunday against Green Bay. He will not play this week. Canales commented on Zavala’s status: “No specific timetable,” adding that they would reevaluate over the weekend and into Monday. Zavala is considered “week to week.”
There may be eventual help at right guard as Robert Hunt increases his rehab activity following a biceps injury sustained in Week 2. According to Canales: “I know he’s running around and moving, doing a lot of, still his upper body rehab,” adding that Hunt is focusing on cardio and lower body strength during recovery.
Canales did not provide an exact timeline but noted Hunt is “right on track.” The Panthers’ late bye week could offer additional recovery time if playoff hopes continue: “There may be a thing, it gives us an opportunity to go into the bye week to kind of evaluate where he’s at physically,” Canales explained.
Austin Corbett will start at right guard this week—the eighth different starting lineup combination for Carolina’s offensive line in ten games.
Running back Rico Dowdle was cleared after missing Wednesday’s practice with a quadriceps issue and carries no game status designation heading into Sunday’s contest. Canales said: “Rico looked great. He had a full day, a full day of work, and really looking forward to him on Sunday.”
Dowdle leads NFC rushers this season with 735 yards—ranking fourth across the NFL—and recorded 130 yards last week in Green Bay. This performance placed him among franchise leaders with three games of 125 rushing yards or more in one season; only Stephen Davis (five times), Christian McCaffrey (four), and DeAngelo Williams (three) have achieved similar feats.
