CHARLOTTE – Dave Canales had barely made it off the practice field on Wednesday, when he found himself on FaceTime with Shaq Thompson. The Panthers linebacker had just come out of surgery for the Achilles tear he suffered on Sunday against the Bengals. Canales wanted to know how the operation had gone, but he couldn't get the full rundown in the short call, because Thompson wanted to talk about something else.

"He wanted to know how practice went," Canales laughed, telling reporters about the call Wednesday afternoon, shortly after talking to the veteran linebacker. "I mean, could you imagine anything else from Shaq?"

No, you can't imagine anything else from Shaq, as corner Jaycee Horn concurred shortly after.

"That's just his personality," Horn said. "I remember I got hurt in my rookie year. He walked by me in the training room like 'you'll be all right,' and kept it moving. I told him the same thing when he got hurt because I know he a warrior and he's just a leader."

Even from a hospital bed, Thompson has remained the leader that was voted a team captain this year for the fifth time in his career, even coaching up rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace, ahead of his first start. It's the attitude that Canales has seen since arriving earlier this year, as the former first-rounder appointed himself sentinel on behalf of the new staff.

"For a first-time head coach, I can't say enough what it means for a veteran guy like Shaq Thompson to send me texts after the games to support the messaging, going to the rest of the guys to embody it, to play with the style that we're looking for all across the board. And just really be just such a leader and a team guy," Canales shared Wednesday. "So, somebody we're going to really miss, and it just meant a lot for me that he checked in. I love that guy and, and just hoping for a beautiful and quick recovery."

Injury updates

While Thompson was understandably not present on Wednesday, several others were, albeit not practicing. Linebacker Josey Jewell was able to watch practice but was still held out as he recovers from a groin and hamstring suffered Sunday. Guard Damien Lewis was back practicing with a large brace on his left arm after a UCL injury kept him sidelined last week. Receiver Diontae Johnson was held out as well, with an ankle injury that isn't concerning Canales much; just something they wanted to be careful with ahead of traveling to Chicago.

"Just soreness right now, but again, we got to get him back out on the grass and make sure that he can run and cut, do the things that we need him to do," Canales explained of the receiver. "We felt like taking this day to really get on top of it, get ahead of it, gives us a chance to get into as the week goes and we add the stuff in the game plan that he's being exposed to more of it. Just being smart about getting his ankle to full health."

The team opened the window to return for Dane Jackson and Ian Thomas this week, and the duo was able to take to the grass on Wednesday for the first time this season, albeit in a limited role. The process to be in the game plan is still on going, but the first practice of Week 5 was a positive step in the right direction.

"They both look solid, coming along great. So, we'll keep progressing them as the week goes along," Canales said. "We got to see them handle the load of a full week. So today is the first step of it. We got to go Thursday and Friday running around. How does their body respond going into the weekend so we can make those decisions and make sure we're doing the right thing for them.

"This is the first time they're playing football. Their body is ready. But you know that there's a contact adaptation that happens with push, pull, tug, all the things that – it's kind of like you can run all you want. But if you go play basketball that first time, you're going to be really sore. The movements are different when you having to face somebody on a regular basis."

The club also added defensive back Caleb Farley to the practice squad this week, bringing the former first-rounder back to his home state.

"Caleb Farley, a local guy, Maiden, North Carolina," Canales said. "Good to have him here. Just a tall, fast prospect. Another guy to bring in here to just add to the rooms as we continue to find us and play ball."

A proven deep O-line

Stop us if you've heard this before, but the offensive line had another great game on Sunday. After three straight weeks of putting up some of the top numbers in the league, the unit allowed the lowest pressure rate against the Bengals, according to The 33^rd Team.

Of note though, the unit continued their streak of impressive play in Week 4, down a starting man. Lewis was inactive with an elbow injury and Chandler Zavala, who started seven games last season as a rookie, stepped in at Lewis' spot.

"It's fantastic," Canales praised of the group's approach each week and without Lewis. "It's that next guy up mentality when the guys get opportunities to play football, it's huge.

"So, for (Chandler) to be able to handle it, you know, with the focus that he did, just go in there with all the games that he has under his belt, the experiences just keep stacking up for a guy like Chandler and he did a fantastic job in that game."

Andy and Bryce, stronger than ever

When Canales made a quarterback change two weeks ago, there was extensive outside noise, debate and pontification. At the time, Andy Dalton said he didn't think the friendship he and Bryce Young have developed over the past year and a half would suffer much. Now two weeks into the Dalton starter era, he can declare that to be true. In fact, it might have become even better for the fire it has been through.

"It's meant so much, for him to handle the situation the way he has and for him to still have so much support for not only me but for this team," Dalton said Wednesday of the support from Young. "I mean, he's still doing a lot of the same things that he was doing before the switch happened.

"It's just the type of person he is. That wasn't going to change based off of his situation. And so, I've been really appreciative of that and I mean, honestly, everything going on probably made our friendship even stronger because of it."

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