CHARLOTTE – The Panthers built an indoor facility for days like this, and head coach Matt Rhule had some work he wanted to get done.
Also, they had one more important piece back out doing the work.
Wide receiver DJ Moore returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list, and was back on the practice field with his teammates Wednesday.
Though he was listed as limited, Rhule said he expected Moore to play after missing last week's game.
"He'll play," Rhule said flatly. "He looked like he was ready to go today, so he'll play."
That will provide an immediate boost for an offense that looked stuck without its top vertical threat (Moore's averaging 18.5 yards per catch this year) during last week's loss to the Broncos.
And after that less-than-polished game, in which he wasn't pleased with a number of elements, Rhule said he was more concerned with getting a focused day of work in rather than preparing for any potential elements in Green Bay.
"The most important thing is the practice," he said, saying the team would likely practice outside on Thursday unless it was raining, adding that if there was rain in Saturday's night forecast, he'd have practiced in the rain.
The Panthers were missing three players from Wednesday's work, as running back Christian McCaffrey (thigh), left tackle Russell Okung (calf), and safety Kenny Robinson (illness) were held out.
Rhule continued to say that he didn't expect McCaffrey to play this week, but that he was holding out hope he'd return this year.
Safety Tre Boston (hamstring), offensive lineman Dennis Daley (concussion), defensive end Austin Larkin (shoulder), and offensive tackle Greg Little (ankle) were also listed as limited.
You can read Wednesday's entire injury report here.
View photos from Wednesday's practice as the Panthers prepared for the Packers in the Atrium Health Dome.
