Panthers Immediately Sign Wide Receiver Following Adam Thielen Injury
By Jovan Alford
After getting their first win of the season on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Carolina Panthers received devastating injury news regarding veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen on Tuesday.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Carolina is placing Thielen on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury he suffered against the Raiders. Rapoport adds that the veteran wide receiver is expected back sooner rather than later.
Source: The #Panthers are placing WR Adam Thielen on Injured Reserve because of the hamstring injury he suffered on Sunday. But Thielen is expected back sooner rather than later. pic.twitter.com/4YQ2VcQEsR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 24, 2024
The 34-year-old wide receiver suffered the leg injury on a 31-yard touchdown catch in the first half against the Raiders. It was an outstanding play by Thielen, who laid out to make the catch, but to see him get hurt was the last thing Carolina wanted to see.
With Thielen going on IR, it opens up a spot on the 53-man roster. Carolina could go outside the organization to add another wideout. However, they decided to stay in-house, given Thielen might not be out for long.
Panthers News: Panthers to Promote Jalen Coker From Practice Squad Ahead of Week 4
According to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, the Panthers plan to promote rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
The #Panthers plan to promote WR Jalen Coker from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to replace Adam Thielen, per league source.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) September 24, 2024
This is fantastic news for Coker, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by Carolina after the 2024 NFL Draft.
Coker was a star at Holy Cross University, posting 164 receptions for 2,715 yards, and 31 touchdowns over his four-year collegiate career. Last year as a senior, the 6-foot-3 wideout recorded career highs across the board with 59 receptions for 1,040 yards, and 15 TDs.
The former Holy Cross standout made the Panthers’ initial 53-man roster out of training camp but was ultimately waived and signed to the practice squad.
It will be interesting to see how many snaps Coker will get this coming week as the Panthers play the winless Cincinnati Bengals. However, we should expect more targets for Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo, and Xavier Legette in Thielen’s absence.
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