Cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s practice participation is trending in the right direction ahead of the Saints’ Sunday game against the Panthers.
Lattimore was limited in practice on Wednesday because of a hip injury, but he was bumped up to full participation in Thursday’s session. That suggests he’s on track to play in the opener.
Assuming he does, it will be his first appearance since Week 10 of last season. Lattimore missed the rest of the year with an ankle injury and he was limited to seven games in 2022, so the Saint will be hoping that news continues to be positive on the health front.
The Saints made one other change to their injury report. Wide receiver A.T. Perry missed practice with a hand injury after not appearing on the report at all on Wednesday. Linebacker Willie Gay (back) and guard Nick Saldiveri (calf) were limited for the second day in a row while linebacker Jaylan Ford (hamstring), tight end Dallin Hooker (ankle), linebacker D’Marco Jackson (calf), and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (calf) missed practice again.
Former Panthers vice president of player personnel Adrian Wilson has had two of the three domestic violence charges filed against him in Arizona dismissed recently.
Wilson was arrested in June and charged with assault, criminal damage, and disorderly conduct for an incident at his home on June 1. Per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com, court records show the assault and criminal damage were dropped and that Wilson has pleaded guilty to the third with deferred prosecution.
In a statement to his X account, Wilson said that he entered a diversion program on the third charge and that it will be dismissed upon its completion.
“With the hearing behind me, I can now begin the process of healing from this very unfortunate incident and the embarrassment it has brought to my family and me,” Wilson said in his statement posted Wednesday. “I deeply regret my actions on June 1 and recommit to being a better person and father. I have learned a great deal and look forward to rebuilding my relationship with my kids, lending my 20+ years of expertise, once again, to the game of football, and supporting community and non-profit causes I believe in.”
The Panthers parted ways with Wilson in July. He was previously part of the Cardinals’ personnel department.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is once again a team captain.
The Panthers will have four permanent captains this season: Young, defensive tackle Derrick Brown, linebacker Shaq Thompson, and special teamer Sam Franklin Jr.
Young was also a captain last year, when he was declared the franchise quarterback after going first overall in the draft. Now the Panthers need him to prove with his play that he is, indeed, a franchise quarterback.
Thompson has been a Panthers captain for five seasons. Brown and Franklin are both captains for the first time. Franklin is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury but is expected back during the season and is the Panthers’ top special teams player in addition to playing safety.
The Panthers will also pick one additional captain for each game.
Panthers running back Miles Sanders injured his finger in Wednesday’s practice when he hit it on a helmet. Sanders had his finger wrapped afterward and was headed to get it examined but expects to be ready for the season opener, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.
“Sucks this happened before Week 1,” he said.
Coach Dave Canales also said he expects Sanders to play.
Chuba Hubbard beat out Sanders for the job early last season, but both backs will have roles at least until rookie Jonathon Brooks returns. Brooks tore an ACL in November while at the University of Texas.
Sanders had 156 touches for 586 yards and a touchdown last season, his first with the Panthers.
Tight ends Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) did not practice Wednesday, prompting the Panthers to sign tight end Messiah Swinson off the Packers’ practice squad.
Backup tackle Yosh Nijman (tibia) was limited.
The Saints have a couple of defensive starters listed as limited participants in practice in their first injury report of the season.
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore is dealing with a hip injury and linebacker Willie Gay has a back injury.
Lattimore was limited to 10 games by an ankle injury last season and he only played seven games after lacerating his kidney in 2022, which is part of the reason why his name came up in trade chatter this offseason. The Saints didn’t move him, though, and he’s set to start against the Panthers this Sunday as long as he’s healthy enough to go.
Linebacker Pete Werner (shoulder) was a full participant and guard Nick Saldiveri (calf) was limited. Linebacker Jaylan Ford (hamstring), tight end Dallin Hokker (ankle), linebacker D’Marco Jackson (calf), and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (calf) did not practice.
The Panthers have added a tight end to their roster ahead of Week One.
The team announced that they signed Messiah Swinson off of the Packers practice squad. They had an open roster spot after releasing edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson earlier this week.
Swinson was undrafted out of Arizona State this year and signed to the Green Bay practice squad after being released as part of their cut to 53 players. He was targeted with one pass in the preseason, but did not have a reception.
Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble have been dealing with injuries, which leaves Swinson, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Jordan Matthews as the healthy players at the position.
The Panthers have let go of a veteran linebacker.
Carolina announced on Tuesday that the club has released K’Lavon Chaisson.
Chaisson, 25, was the Jaguars’ No. 20 overall pick out of LSU in 2020. But he has not lived up to that level of production, registering just 5.0 sacks with 11 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits in 57 career games. He’s also started 11 contests, though none since 2021.
Last season, Chaisson picked up 2.0 sacks with four tackles for loss and eight QB hits. \
The Panthers signed him as a free agent in March.
Carolina will start its season on Sunday with a matchup against the Saints.
The Panthers are signing quarterback John Wolford to their practice squad, Joe Person of TheAthletic.com reports.
The team currently has Bryce Young and Andy Dalton on its 53-player roster and undrafted rookie Jack Plummer on the practice squad.
The Buccaneers cut Wolford from their roster this week.
Wolford went undrafted, entering the NFL with the Jets in 2018. He was the primary backup to Matthew Stafford when the Rams won the Super bowl in 2022.
He has started four games, going 2-2 with one touchdown and five interceptions
Ron Rivera, a two-time coach of the year and head coach during Carolina’s Super Bowl season of 2015, is joining NFL Network.
Via BarrettSportsMedia.com, the league announced the hire on Thursday.
Rivera coached the Panthers from 2011 through 2019 and the Commanders from 2020 through 2023. In November 2020, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of a lymph node. He successfully beat the disease.
The league’s in-house media outlet also hired former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o and former NFL receiver Isaiah Stanback.
The hires come several months after the NFL abruptly dumped Melissa Stark, Andrew Siciliano, James Palmer, and Will Selva.
NFL Network also will televise seven games this season — three in London, one in Munich, and three on the Saturday of Week 17.
The Panthers have made a couple of roster moves.
Carolina announced on Thursday that the team has signed tight end Jordan Matthews to the 53-man roster off the practice squad.
As a corresponding move, Carolina placed defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy on injured reserve. He will be out for at least four weeks.
The Panthers are dealing with a pair of injuries at tight end, as Tommy Tremble has a hamstring issue and Ian Thomas has a calf issue.
Matthews was a receiver earlier in his career but switched positions. He has not caught a pass in a regular season game since 2019, but he has 274 career receptions for 3,288 yards with 22 touchdowns.