CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Less than 24 hours after wide receiver Diontae Johnson said he expected to play in Sunday's game at Denver the Carolina Panthers ruled him out with a rib injury.
Asked if the decision had anything to do with keeping Johnson healthy for trade value, coach Dave Canales deferred to general manager Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis, the executive vice president of football operations.
Johnson had the same injury along with an ankle injury last week, but played in a 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders. He was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the offseason and is in the last year of his contract. «I want to do the best thing for Diontae, the best thing for the offense and continuity of what we're trying to get done,'' Canales said after Friday's practice. „The fact that we couldn't get him back on the field… I felt confident in the guys stepping in.'' The Panthers (1-6) also will be without wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring), who was designated for return from injury earlier in the week.
Canales called quarterback Andy Dalton, who suffered a sprained thumb in a car crash on Tuesday, a “longshot'' to back up Bryce Young after saying earlier in the week the hope was Dalton would be available if something happened to Young.