North Charlotte Today

The Carolina Panthers will face the Denver Broncos without two of their key receivers this weekend. Diontae Johnson is sidelined due to a rib injury, and Adam Thielen remains on injured reserve with a hamstring issue. Head Coach Dave Canales explained that Johnson did not practice throughout the week, aiming for his full recovery by next week.

"We weren't able to practice him this week. So I just thought it was best to let that all calm down," Canales stated regarding Johnson's situation. He added that they hope to revisit his condition next week to get him back at full speed.

Thielen, who has been out since Week 3, returned to limited practice but wasn't ready for game action. "Yeah. We tried, but we didn't feel like we could get him back for this weekend," Canales commented on Thielen's status.

With both players unavailable, the Panthers will rely on Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Jonathan Mingo, and David Moore. After a challenging performance last week against the Commanders, Canales expressed confidence in the group's response during practice.

"The guys that took the reps during the week, you know, we feel good about the execution and the way that the guys handled it," he remarked.

Even without playing Sunday, Thielen's presence at practice has positively impacted younger teammates. "Yeah, he's been helpful the whole time," said Canales about Thielen's involvement in team activities despite being sidelined.

Meanwhile, quarterback Andy Dalton's status remains uncertain following a car accident resulting in a sprained thumb. Bryce Young is set as the starter for Week 8. However, Dalton is listed as doubtful but might still be available as backup if he can grip a football by game time.

"We got one more day to kind of check it out," Canales mentioned post-practice on Friday regarding Dalton’s availability. If Dalton cannot play, Jack Plummer from the practice squad will serve as backup quarterback.

On a positive note for Carolina's defense, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney practiced all week after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in Week 5. "He looked great," Canales noted about Clowney’s readiness to return to action.

Clowney has been effective with 16 quarterback pressures and nine stops in just over four games this season.