The Panthers claimed safety Caden Sterns off waivers, the team announced Tuesday.
The Broncos waived Sterns on Monday, and the Panthers were first in the waiver wire order based on the final standings in 2023.
Sterns, 24, played for Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in Denver.
The Broncos made Sterns a fifth-round pick in 2021, and he played 21 games with five starts in his time in Denver. He totaled 49 tackles, four interceptions, two sacks and nine pass breakups.
Sterns played only one game last season because of a torn patellar tendon.
The Panthers waived guard J.D. DiRenzo with an injury designation in a corresponding move.
While some coaches will have their starting quarterback take the field in the preseason opener, Dave Canales will not be one of them.
The Panthers’ HC told reporters in his Tuesday press conference that Bryce Young will not play in Thursday’s contest against the Patriots.
“We’ll take that week-to-week and get a sense for, do we need to get him out there in this system and get a couple of series and do that? That’s something that I’ve done in the past. We’ve done both. So, for this game, he will not play,” Canales said.
Canales was a part of a staff that had starters play last year with the Buccaneers, but Canales noted that Tampa Bay was having a quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.
“This is different. We know who our guys is and he’s doing a fantastic job,” Canales said of Young. “The growth and all that matters. I’ve seen the plus side of going out there and just being able to have the cadences, the mixes, the plays coming in, the play clock, the situations and all that — those are really important as well. But I also know, we’re depending on those guys, too. So, the flip side of that, too, which we’ve seen some different models around the league is let’s make sure that we’re throwing those situations at them, getting our move-the-ball periods so we can function and see where we’re at.”
There is an inherent risk of injury in preseason play, which is a significant part of why Young won’t be on the field this week. But Canales also pointed to the upcoming joint practice with the Jets as an opportunity for Young to get quality reps.
“You can’t play scared, but you’ve got to be smart, and so yeah, it’s a factor for sure,” Canales said. “We’re thinking about that. With the guys we’re counting on, we’re definitely taking that into consideration, for sure. In our live move-the-ball periods, we’re going ones-vs.-ones all camp. Those are so valuable, especially at the end of practice when we’re tired, we get into the move-the-ball settings. We’ll have the Jets in here — that’s going to be a fantastic day. I can’t wait. That’s great work for those guys, so we’ve got to take advantage of those windows.”
Young threw for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2023.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is making quarterback decisions for the first time this season and the first calls he has to make involves who will play in the team’s preseason opener against the Panthers this Thursday.
The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, first-round pick Drake Maye, sixth-round pick Joe Milton, and Bailey Zappe on the roster. Mayo was asked at Tuesday’s press conference if he plans to get all four of them into the matchup with Carolina.
“As of today, that’s the plan, to have all of those guys out there playing,” Mayo said. “Once again, it goes back to competing. So, yesterday, you guys saw the live tackling period and things like that, that I think is very important. You don’t want the first time these guys have to get hit or hit someone else to be in the preseason game. So, we’ve got to see what these guys can do with live action.”
Mayo didn’t say who will start, but Brissett is seen as the likely choice for that role with Maye following him in the rotation. Mayo wouldn’t specify how much the rookie will play, saying only that confirming he’ll play is “more than you’ve ever gotten” in the Bill Belichick days.
There were no shortage of disappointments on offense for the Panthers last season and running back Miles Sanders was on the list.
Sanders signed with the team as a free agent last March and the hope was that he’d bring the kind of production that resulted in 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground for the Eagles in 2022. Sanders only managed 432 yards and one score for the Panthers, however, and the way things played out “left a real bad taste in my mouth.”
Removing that bad taste is Sanders’ motivation because he says he’s heading into this year with “something to prove.”
“I don’t think nobody did me wrong,” Sanders said, via the team’s website. “I just didn’t like how last year went. That’s all. I’m not blaming nobody but myself. I’m just ready to play. I’m ready to have a better season.”
Chuba Hubbard is back after leading the team in rushing yards last season and the Panthers will be getting second-round pick Jonathon Brooks in the mix at some point, so Sanders will have to prove himself if he’s going to see a lot of the field in 2024.
With their numbers at the position low, the Panthers have added another tight end.
Carolina announced on Monday that the club signed Jesper Horsted.
Horsted, 27, initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton in 2019 with the Bears. He appeared in 13 games for the franchise from 2019-2021 before spending the last two seasons with the Raiders.
Horsted played a combined 28 games for Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023, mainly playing special teams.
He has 14 career receptions for 131 yards with three touchdowns. While he spent some time with the Saints this summer, New Orleans released him late last week.
Carolina is dealing with several injuries at tight end. The team also signed Jacob Hollister on Sunday.
In a corresponding move to add Horsted, Carolina has waived receiver Tayvion Robinson.
