With questions at linebacker, Panthers have experience on hand

Defensive signal-caller Devin Lloyd didn't practice on Wednesday, so Bobby Okereke and Tyrel Dodson spent the day as if they might have to do that job on Sunday. Neither of them has been here four weeks.

Sep 23, 2026 at 06:37 PM

Darin Gantt

Linebacker Claudin Cherelus, linebacker Tyrel Dodson, linebacker Devin Lloyd and outside linebacker Bobby Okereke are seen during Carolina Panthers practice on Wednesday,
Sep. 23, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.

CHARLOTTE — When Bobby Okereke and Tyrel Dodson landed here about 24 hours apart, just over three weeks ago, they wore the green dots in practice to learn the language.

Now, they're wearing it because they might have to speak it.

With starting linebacker Devin Lloyd out of practice Wednesday with a calf injury and his status for Sunday's game up in the air, someone else might have to call the defensive signals against the Browns.

So those crash courses became valuable this week, in case Lloyd can't get back on the field in four days.

Okereke signed on Aug. 31. Dodson arrived the next day.

"I mean, him being an eight-year pro too, he's got a bank of experience, I've got a bank of experience," Okereke said with a shrug, of learning alongside Dodson. "So you know, we'll piece it together and let it rip, and wait and see what happens."

Linebacker Tyrel Dodson and outside linebacker Bobby Okereke are seen during a game as the Carolina Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Sep. 20, 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

Wednesday, they were listening in on the defensive calls through the receivers in their helmets, where coaches relay calls to the guy on the field in charge of communicating them.

There's no limit on how many can do so in practice, as rookie Jackson Kuwatch and new-old practice squader Maema Njongmeta were also wearing them Wednesday. But come Sunday, only one can at a time, and if it isn't Lloyd, they all have to be ready.

Okereke called defensive signals during his three years with the Giants, so he understands the pressure.

"Obviously, I called it for three years in New York, was a captain there, so I'm very comfortable with it," Okereke said. "And I mean I've been here for almost a month now. I mean, I've kind of learned the whole playbook and haven't gotten a physical rep of every call, but conceptually understand it.

"And obviously I've got a great example in Dev to learn from and follow, but I'm excited."

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There's always the possibility this becomes a moot point, and Lloyd can make it back.

He described himself, as head coach Dave Canales did, as "day-to-day."

"See how it feels," Lloyd said. "It's not really anything that I'm too worried about; I just want to be smart with it, but it happened in the game, sometime like right before halftime, it popped up. It felt like a bruise at first, but we just want to be ultra-precautious and just make sure that we take care of it."

Of course, Lloyd's used to running around playing defense, but he's not used to sprinting to the end zone with the ball in his hands. He did that twice Sunday, scoring one from 16 yards out, and also had a 53-yard return that didn't go the distance but did include a sweet stiff-arm.

And somewhere along the way of his Derrick Henry impersonation, he came up sore.

So Wednesday, he was in sweats and playing instructor, helping Okereke (who has two turnovers himself this season, a fumble recovery in the opener and a pick Sunday) and Dodson understand things in case he can't go.

But either way, having a veteran fallback plan — or two, since Dodson has 43 career starts — is essential for a team that used four different combinations of starting linebackers in a five-week span last year, and was constantly mixing and matching less-experienced options.

"That's where my eight years of experience comes in; I can bank on that and just go out there and play fast," Okereke said. "And that's the beautiful thing, I'm not one man out there by myself. I've got 11 teammates, or 10 teammates around me, and I got 10 very talented teammates, so it gives me a lot of confidence and support."

And that's true even without Lloyd on the field.

"I mean, I've admired Tyrell's game," Okereke said. "He's been a very productive, successful linebacker in this league for a long time, and we have a lot of mutual friends, so it was pretty cool actually to line up with him and play. And obviously we're going back and forth on the sideline talking about play style, talking about how we see the game. So if anything, it just makes me a better player, and I'm excited for the opportunity.

"(The experience) helps a lot, and that's probably why they brought us in here, you know what I mean? Obviously not expecting any injuries, but it's the NFL; it's a 100 percent injury rate, so just kind of knowing that we can step in at any moment in time. And obviously Devin's the high-paid guy, and he's leading the ship, but maybe take a little pressure off him so he doesn't have to feel like he's got to carry all that weight, and we can support him in any way we can."

Outside linebacker Bobby Okereke and linebacker Devin Lloyd are seen during a game as the Carolina Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Sep. 20, 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

And that's true even without Lloyd on the field.

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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.