Hated Panther Has Officially Played His Final Snap in Carolina 

The Carolina Panthers made several roster moves coming out of the Week 11 bye on Monday, including putting a veteran on injured reserve. The Panthers announced that veteran tight end Ian Thomas was placed on IR with a calf injury, per Joe Person of The Athletic.

The veteran tight end re-aggravated his calf injury in the first half of Carolina’s Week 10 game against the New York Giants and didn’t return.

With Thomas being placed on injured reserve for the second time, he’ll miss the next four weeks of the regular season, likely signifying the end of his tenure in Carolina. 

The 28-year-old pass catcher has played sparingly this season for the Panthers, seeing time in five games. Coincidentally, he started the season on IR because of this lingering calf injury. The former fourth-round pick eventually made his 2024 debut in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons but didn’t do much.

He played 22 offensive snaps and only saw three targets. Panthers fans on social media aren’t sad to see Thomas go back on injured reserve as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Thomas’ seven-tenure with the organization has been uneventful. His best season was in 2018 as a rookie. Thomas had 36 receptions (49 targets) for 333 yards and two touchdowns.

That said, the Panthers will continue integrating rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders into the offense. The former University of Texas standout scored his first NFL touchdown in Carolina’s overtime win over the Giants.

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