Panthers running back Rico Dowdle got back to work on Thursday.
Dowdle sat out practice on Wednesday with a quad injury, but he was listed as a limited participant in the team’s second workout of the week. That’s the same pattern that Dowdle followed before playing against the Saints last Sunday, so it seems like a good bet that he’ll be able to go against the Falcons this Sunday as well.
Linebacker Trevin Wallace (shoulder) and safety Lathan Ransom (hand) remained out of practice.
Defensive lineman Derrick Brown (knee), guard Chandler Zavala (elbow), and wide receiver Brycen Tremayne (hip) were all full participants. Brown was limited on Wednesday.
Falcons wide receiver Drake London did not practice on Wednesday because of an illness. He returned to limited work on Thursday, but with a back injury in addition to his illness.
London has 53 receptions for 691 yards and six touchdowns this season.
He was one of 11 players who didn’t practice Wednesday, but he was one of four to return to at least limited work.
Inside linebacker Josh Woods (hamstring), long snapper Liam McCullough (personal), edge rusher Leonard Floyd (hamstring), offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (foot), offensive guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle) and defensive lineman Sam Roberts (knee/ankle) remained out of practice.
Lindstrom played last Sunday in Germany, while Bergeron did not.
Wide receiver Jamal Agnew (foot), defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus (oblique) and defensive lineman Zach Harrison (knee) returned to limited work.
Cornerback Dee Alford (concussion), cornerback Mike Hughes (neck), inside linebacker Malik Verdon (shoulder) and left tackle Jake Matthews (rest) remained limited.
Edge rusher DeAngelo Malone landed on injured reserve on Thursday. He injured his ankle in the Week 10 loss to the Colts and is expected to miss significant time. The team signed edge rusher Khalid Kareem to the active roster from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
Bill Belichick won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Giants, four years apart. He also lost a pair of Super Bowl rings to the Giants, four years apart. Now, with the Giants’ head-coaching job open and Belichick available for the couch-cushion buyout of $1 million, could Belichick return to New York?
When he was asked about the possibility on Tuesday, Belichick didn’t rule it out. And while it appears that the NFL collectively has ruled him out, it only takes one team to rule him in.
As Chris Simms pointed out during Wednesday’s PFT Live, Belichick has influence over someone in the organization. He’s believed to have been instrumental in the team’s decision to hire Joe Judge in 2020. And Belichick had early notice that the team would be hiring Brian Daboll in 2022, given that he accidentally texted congratulations to another “Brian” in his phone’s contact list.
The challenge becomes getting G.M. Joe Schoen (who’s running the search) on board with the possibility of a Big Blue Belichick reunion. Falcons owner Arthur Blank ultimately didn’t hire Belichick in 2024 after, it’s believed, an internal uprising sparked by concerns that Belichick would neutralize (if not eliminate) much of the front office.
If Belichick has been sufficiently humbled by his post-Patriots NFL snubs to embrace being the coach and only the coach, could it work?
Belichick is regarded by many as the best game-day coach in NFL history, able to whip up a game plan that will allow his specific collection of players to beat the opponent’s specific collection of players, regardless of who the opponent may be. If guardrails can be put in place to keep Belichick from throwing his weight around (and from bringing his consigliere and his creative muse along with him), maybe it could work.
The biggest red flag, frankly, is the 2022 decision by Belichick to put defensive specialist Matt Patricia in charge of the offense. As we said at the time, if any other coach had done that, the widespread reaction would have been to question the head coach’s fitness and/or sanity.
Then there’s the NFL’s dirty little secret of age discrimination. Teams routinely skew young at key positions, with notable exceptions (such as the Raiders hiring Pete Carroll in January 2025). Will the Giants think Belichick, who turns 74 in April, is too old for the job?
Still, if he’s going to coach any NFL team, the most likely team would be the Giants. As Simms speculated on Wednesday, Belichick may have spent plenty of time on Monday and Tuesday working the phones for an opportunity to return to the Giants’ organization.
Given the presence of a potential franchise quarterback in Jaxson Dart, maybe Belichick could improve on his 84-104 record in games played without Tom Brady.
As long as Belichick doesn’t make a defensive coach Dart’s primary tutor.
The Falcons list 11 players out of Wednesday’s practice.
The team’s leading receiver, Drake London, didn’t practice due to an illness.
Wide receiver Jamal Agnew (foot), inside linebacker Josh Woods (hamstring), long snapper Liam McCullough (personal), inside linebacker DeAngelo Malone (oblique), defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus (oblique), edge rusher Leonard Floyd (hamstring), offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (foot), offensive guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle), defensive lineman Zach Harrison (knee) and defensive lineman Sam Roberts (knee/ankle) also were non-participants. McCullough was absent for the birth of his first child.
Cornerback Dee Alford (concussion), cornerback Mike Hughes (neck), inside linebacker Malik Verdon (shoulder) and left tackle Jake Matthews (rest) were limited.
Defensive lineman LaCale London (shoulder) was a full participant.
The Falcons also announced offensive tackle Storm Norton (foot) reverted back to injured reserve, ending his season after his 21-day practice window closed without the team activating him.
Malone will head to injured reserve with a significant ankle injury, coach Raheem Morris said.
Panthers running back Rico Dowdle did not practice on Wednesday.
It’s the second straight week that Dowdle has missed the first practice session of the week with a quad injury. He returned to practice on Thursday last week and scored a touchdown in last Sunday’s loss to the Saints. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters that the team is hoping things play out the same way heading into this week’s game against the Falcons.
The Panthers also practiced without linebacker Trevin Wallace. He left the loss to the Saints with a shoulder injury.
Safety Lathan Ransom (hand) was the other player to miss practice. Defensive lineman Derrick Brown (knee) was limited while guard Chandler Zavala (elbow) and wide receiver Brycen Tremayne (hip) were full participants.
