The Panthers announced seven inactive players before Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoff against the Buccaneers, with Jaelan Phillips among the most notable names on the list.
Phillips had been starting on the outside before aggravating his hamstring against Philadelphia, leaving Carolina with another adjustment to make in Week 7. The Panthers have already been dealing with repeated injury-related roster changes, and this latest group of absences added more uncertainty on both the edge and special teams.
Carolina’s injury picture keeps changing
The Panthers’ recent health issues have stretched beyond Phillips. Against Philadelphia, Thomas Incoom injured his calf, and on Saturday he was placed on injured reserve. To help fill the gap, Nick Hampton was elevated from the practice squad, and Bam Martin-Scott was activated from injured reserve.
That came on top of the earlier setbacks for Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson in Week 3. Both remained on injured reserve, though Dave Canales said Friday that Horn was ahead of some of the normal timelines for his injury and that Jackson had started picking up his speed as he worked his way back.
What it meant against Tampa Bay
Phillips’ absence mattered because he had been part of Carolina’s edge rotation. With him out, the Panthers had to adjust their pass-rush plan again while also managing special teams responsibilities after Incoom’s injury. Incoom had been a big part of Carolina’s special teams, so his loss added another layer to the roster shuffle.
For Carolina, the bigger picture is straightforward: the Panthers entered the matchup against Tampa Bay already managing multiple injuries, and the inactive list reflected just how much that has forced the team to adapt from week to week.
