CHARLOTTE — Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday, but head coach Dave Canales wasn't ready to close the door completely.

Ekwonu had an appendectomy last Sunday, and practiced on a limited basis Friday for the first time since the procedure. While he was able to participate in a limited capacity, whether walking through offensive line drills on Friday, or stepping in as an immobile quarterback during O-line and running back drills earlier in the week—mostly snapping and handing off—for the most part, the Panthers kept his movement to a minimum as he recovered.

Friday was the day of judgement for Ekwonu, and the Panthers knew all week they would determine the tackle's status for Sunday based on Friday's practice. He did take part during individual drills.

"We're going to have to just keep taking it day by day," Canales said Friday. "We got him out there to do some stuff and just with just how short of a window we had, we really just like—every day he takes leaps, every day he he does a little bit more and it's just, we got to just kind of go all the way. He's doubtful right now, we just got to take it all the way (to Sunday)."

If Ekwonu is out on Sunday, the Panthers will go with either Yosh Nijman or Brady Christensen at left tackle.

Nijman has started 25 games in his career, and played in 83 total. The bulk of his starts came in 2022 when he started 13 games for Green Bay. According to Next Gen Stats, Nijman allowed three sacks last season for the Panthers, or a 2.5 percent sack rate on his 118 pass blocking snaps.

Christensen has started 30 games in his Panthers career, appearing in 51 total. He allowed zero sacks on 212 pass blocking snaps last season, according to Next Gen.

Cornerback Damarri Mathis suffered a torn ACL

Canales said that cornerback Damarri Mathis suffered a torn ACL during Wednesday's practice and would be lost for the season.

Mathis was claimed off waivers from Denver after initial cuts, and had background with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero during his time with the Broncos.

"Unfortunately, Damarri tore his ACL," Canales said. "So he's here right now, and it's getting some preliminary rehab, and he'll be traveling to get operated on, and we'll be a part of his recovery process. I was really excited about having him here, a guy that really brings a couple of things: a big, strong corner with great physical ability, looked really good moving around with that size, and also just his ability to play on special teams.

"So I was really excited to kind of bring him along and see where he fit in our schemes. So you know my heart goes out to Damarri for sure, especially this quickly changing scenery coming over from Denver, and then to get here and have that injury. Just really unfortunate."

Two similar coaches squaring off

Dave Canales and Liam Coen may have never worked together before, but the two have recent paths that seem almost eerily similar.

Both made a jump to offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, calling plays for the first time in that role, with Coen taking the job after Canales was hired to the Panthers. Both helped that offense, under Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, flourish in their time, earning them both first time head coaching jobs after just one year with the Bucs.

Both were tapped to be head coaches of teams that relatively are younger than the rest of the league, helping to establish a new era that could possible define an organization.

It means Canales has watched Coen's career closely in recent years, and has come away with immense respect for his fellow coach.

"I've had a couple of connections with him over the years," Canales shared Friday. "I would say probably for about the past five years, going back to when he was at Kentucky, Will Levis was there, he was doing some great things, schematically.

"He kind of had this cool combination of the pro game and the college game, being able to use the rules of the college game to his advantage. And then I saw him translate, as he went back to the Rams, but then when he when he took over in Tampa I saw him really translate the marriage of a couple of systems the run variety, the creative screens, the creative deceptive passes and different things and just at the core of it, like really good fundamental football, so I got a lot of respect for Liam.

"And I've really kind of just enjoyed sitting last year and just watching the stuff that he was doing in Tampa, and kind of watching, knowing those players knowing Baker (Mayfield), knowing those guys and seeing the possibilities of what you could do, so it's been really cool."

"I think you know for us as as offensive coaches we all kind of look at each other's offenses and see if there's something that they're doing within a scheme that we might be able to incorporate you know so he's one of those guys that I just I love watching what they do."

Additionally, for Dave Canales, as someone who has been in Coen's shoes, knowing what the first year Jacksonville coach is going through lends itself to not only respect for the fellow coach, but a level of understanding that not every person in the position can understand.

"I take a lot of responsibility, you know, as a young head coach and really a new offensive coordinator going into my 30 years of calling plays, I take a lot of responsibility in growing this game, making this an exciting football, a brand of football, for fans for a long time.

"It's our charge to continue to advance it, you know, but to never lose the essence of the toughness and physicality that it takes to play this game, but really just being able to take what the colleges are doing and say look, these guys have been doing these plays for a long time how can we incorporate some of those things into what we're doing so, I think Liam's one of those guys as well— how can we advance this game, and make it a great product for all of our fans."