Five takeaways from Wednesday, including backup plans, bad news for Brooks, and more

Plus, a return of an old friend at returner, and the challenge of facing two dynamic rookie receivers in Cleveland.

Sep 23, 2026 at 05:55 PM

by Darin Gantt & Kassidy Hill

Head coach Dave Canales is seen during Carolina Panthers practice on Wednesday,
Sep. 23, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.

CHARLOTTE — The Panthers were without three defensive starters in practice on Wednesday, and it's unclear which ones they could get ready to play this week.

Also, they just put running back Jonathon Brooks on injured reserve; they don't have a stable return option, and they're at least two weeks away from any of the guys on IR returning.

It's not a great situation, but the perpetually upbeat Dave Canales looked at it as an opportunity for others as they embarked on what he refers to as "Work Wednesday."

"We're back at it," Canales said. "A cast of guys stepping in in some different roles, which I'm sure we'll get to here in a second, but some great opportunities for guys that we know, that we trust, that are here for a reason.

"So, as we continue to evaluate this week and try to get some guys back out there these first four games, this is that window of the season where guys are getting acclimated to handling week to week, coming back, recovering, doing those things, and certainly a 70-plus (play) game for our defense against the Bears and then coming back with a dominant performance last week, we've been playing a lot of ball. And so the guys that were able to make it out there, this is what Work Wednesday is about. It's about recapturing our work ethic and understanding, taking an inventory of where your body's at, and then we've got to go. And that's what it felt like today, so the guys were into it, and we're excited for this weekend."

The absences were most noticeable on defense, where outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips (back), linebacker Devin Lloyd (calf), and safety Nick Scott (rib) were held out of practice. Canales addressed them in bulk, saying it was too soon to know how many or which might be able to return, and they wanted to take it through the week.

And with other injuries, they're thin in spots, specifically at linebacker, where Claudin Cherelus (shoulder) left last week's game and didn't return.

"We're going to be pretty much day-to-day with most of these guys," Canales said. "These are all potentially playable conditions, but we've got to make sure that we treat the player first, and we've got to just try to push the envelope each day as we get closer to game day, and then we'll make those decisions."

Reaction to Brooks injury, IR

From a football standpoint, the groin injury suffered by Brooks Sunday was tough. It was also hard for the human beings who have watched him come back from two ACL tears already.

Canales said Brooks would have surgery, and the six-to-eight-week timeline was roughly the same with or without surgery. That left the Panthers with just Chuba Hubbard and AJ Dillon on the active roster, but Canales said they'd activate practice squad running back Anthony Tyus III (who goes by Tre) for the game against the Browns Sunday.

But mostly, the emotional pain for Brooks was as bad as the physical.

"Yeah, he was bummed," Canales said, in a serious understatement. "This hit him hard, particularly when it happened after the game, and the guys could feel it too, and we were just trying to encourage him. This is a part of this process as your body figures out how you're going to go forward in this new mode. This is a part of it, and just being able to share with him, there's the different experiences that I've had and, and the different experiences he's had, these opportunities.

"And my encouragement to him was, God's plan. He knew what was going to happen before it happened, for us to just be able to say, 'OK, this is just my next step. This is the new challenge that I have in front of me to attack,' and he'll attack it the right way."

Quarterback Bryce Young has talked all summer about how excited he was to be getting Brooks back in the offense, but he has also marveled at Brooks' resilience and the way he's approached his comeback from the knee injuries.

"I feel for him; I'm definitely going to be praying for him," Young said. "He works so hard, it's tough. He's a soldier. I know he's going to bounce back, do the work, do everything, but, yeah, from the human side, I just, I feel for him,

"I mean, you have to compartmentalize. Obviously, I have a lot of things that I have to worry about. So you consume yourself with that. Obviously, being on the field, you have to go lead; throughout the week, you have to go and do your job. But yeah, I mean, of course there's always that side that's on your mind. And it's just such a rough sport that we play. JB, everyone across the league, It's part of the game unfortunately, so yeah, I mean my thoughts and prayers are with him, with anyone who's going through anything; it's the unfortunate part of the game."

Looking at all options, casting a wide net

The Panthers brought running back Austin Ekeler in for a visit Wednesday, but haven't made a move with him yet.

The 31-year-old has been one of the top two-way backs in the league of this generation, but played just two games last year in Washington before a torn Achilles ended his season.

In 2022 with the Chargers, he ran for 915 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also had 107 catches for 722 yards and five scores. In 2024, he earned All-Pro honors as a returner for Washington.

"We had Austin Ekeler come in and be able to meet him and kind of see where he's at," Canales said. "Another guy who's got returns in his past, a solid pro."

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) looks on after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Landover. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Smith-Marsette back with his guys

Ihmir Smith-Marsette was all smiles as he stood in front of his locker — not the exact same one he used to have, but pretty close — speaking with media and joking with teammates Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm happy to be back here," he said with a huge grin. "I'm excited. I missed it."

The Panthers signed Smith-Marsette to the practice squad on Tuesday, with the idea that he would provide depth at returner and develop with this staff and scheme. He played in all 17 games in Carolina in 2023. He returned 37 punts for 322 yards and a touchdown that season.

He flashed his usual speed and vision at practice, drawing excited reactions from coaches after making a couple of cuts to break away. And when the guys returned to the locker room to dry off after a rainy day, he propped himself up on the recliner next to Derrick Brown, chit-chatting with the defensive lineman and Jaycee Horn, re-acclimating himself with the guys he knew best during his last stint in Carolina.

"I'm glad to be back, and I just look forward to going out there and helping the team," Smith-Marsette said.

Smith-Marsette went on to spend most of the 2024 offseason in Charlotte as well, before being waived shortly after initial roster cuts. He went on to New York that season with the Giants and returned 29 punts for 228 yards. He also returned 11 kickoffs that season for 381 yards and a 100-yard touchdown.

The Panthers added Smith-Marsette to the practice squad with questions persisting at punt returner. Trevor Etienne remains on injured reserve for at least two more games. And after waiving Jimmy Horn Jr., John Metchie III has handled kickoff returns while Jalen Coker took care of punt return responsibilities against the Falcons.

The latter is a starting receiver, though, and is nursing an ankle that has to be monitored during the week.

Carolina Panthers practice on Wednesday,
Sep. 23, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.

While Canales isn't going to share who the returners will be Sunday against the Cleveland Browns — "I'd rather not say just from a game plan standpoint," he said Wednesday — simply having guys like Smith-Marsette available alleviates some concerns about depth.

"Bringing guys back like Ihmir is a huge part of that," Canales acknowledged. "Jalen was able to make some noise with the ball in his hands back there. We're also really counting on him on the offensive side, and he has played really well over the last couple of weeks.

"So we just have to make sure that we have options…then, of course, Trevor's kind of getting closer and closer to that window we can get him back. So in the meantime, Dan's done a great job of just kind of evaluating the totality of guys that we have available for returns to give us some options."

While the plan for Sunday remains in flux, simply being back in the building where he played a year of ball, with his teammates, means the world to Smith-Marsette.

"It shows that there's some love there and some trust," he said of the signing. "I feel as though I did some good things here the last time I was here, and just to be able to come back, I feel like I got a chance to go out there and do it again."

Familiarity and respect factoring into game plan for Boston and Concepcion

The Browns made a concerted effort to beef up their passing game this offseason, and did so within 15 picks of this past draft, taking KC Concepcion (1st round, No. 24 overall) and Denzel Boston (2nd round, No. 39 overall).

Through two games, it paid off.

Concepcion is the Browns' leading pass-catcher with 10 receptions. And Boston is the club's leading receiver (and 14th overall in the league) with 154 yards.

They're rookies, playing in their third game, but that means nothing to the Panthers corner Mike Jackson.

"Them being a rookie don't mean nothing because, like, look at TMac (Tetairoa McMillan) last year," Jackson pointed out. "People say he was a rookie, and he went for 1,000 (yards), so that don't mean nothing. When you're on the field on Sunday, age means nothing.

"But as I said before, they take shots with them; they move them around. You have, like, a tall one (Boston) that's 6'4. He broke a tackle and went for 55 (yard touchdown). And you have a short, shifty one (Concepcion) that gets in and out of his breaks, so we got to come ready to play."

Cleveland Browns wide receivers KC Concepcion (1) and Denzel Boston (12) walk off the field after the teams' NFL football practice, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Concepcion's college teammate at Texas A&M, Will Lee III, knows there's a really good possibility the two will face off on Sunday. That means there will be familiarity at play for both sides, but that's where the fun really begins.

"We both know the challenge that comes with it, so we're excited," said Lee. "I know he is excited, so I'm excited.

"I know we're going to compete, and we're probably going to both make some plays on each other, but hopefully I come out with more; that's the outcome. Of course we're both competitors, so we love the game, so we're going to compete for sure.

"It's really no advantage; we just have to stay in with our keys and just focus on what we need to do, and the play is going to come. You do what you're supposed to; the play is going to come to you."

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Quarterback Bryce Young is seen during Carolina Panthers practice on Wednesday, Sep. 23, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.