Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was back on the practice field for the Panthers on Friday.
Johnson missed practice on Thursday due to a groin injury, but returned for a limited workout to close out the week. He has been listed as questionable to face the Bengals on Sunday.
Right guard Robert Hunt was added to the report on Friday. He was limited with a hip injury and joins Johnson and defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson (knee) in the questionable category.
If Hunt can’t go, the Panthers will need to replace two starters on the offensive line. Left guard Damien Lewis (elbow) is out after missing practice all week.
The Panthers also ruled out defensive tackle Sky Tuttle (foot) and defensive back Lonnie Johnson (hip). Quarterback Andy Dalton (ankle) was a full participant again on Friday and is set to make his second straight start.
The drama has ended between the Bengals and receiver Ja’Marr Chase. And that’s good news for the Bengals.
First, Chase is once again all in with his team, even though he reportedly believes the team wasn’t truthful with him about whether he’d get a new deal this year.
“All this BS that was going on this offseason and prior to the season, I’m just happy that it’s over with,” Chase said Thursday, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “I’m finally playing ball and having fun with the guys. That’s what matters most for me.”
Second, the Bengals will have Chase’s services in 2024 for only $4.8 million. Even if it will cost them more in new-money APY when he signs a new deal presumably in 2024, nothing changes the fact that they will have paid less than $5 million to one of the best receivers in the NFL for his fourth season.
Chase didn’t hold out of training camp because, after three days, he would have lost a $3.8 million roster bonus. He ultimately considered not playing in Week 1. He decided to join his teammates.
He’s due to make $21.8 million in 2025, the option year of his 2021 rookie deal. He could still refuse their best offer next year.
This year, we’re told that the Bengals ultimately offered Chase a deal with a new-money average of $35 million per year, matching Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson. We’re also told that the structure of the offer was not good.
Whether Chase signs in 2025 will depend largely on whether the team puts together a better structure. Still, for now, the Bengals have managed to delay Chase’s massive raise, keeping him for the slotted amount of his first-round rookie deal.
The Panthers added receiver Diontae Johnson to their injury report on Thursday.
Johnson did not participate in the day’s session with a groin issue. But the team noted that Johnson is expected to practice on Friday, which is a good sign for his potential availability in Week 4.
Johnson caught eight passes for 122 yards with a touchdown in last week’s victory over the Raiders. He’s even more critical to Carolina’s offense now with fellow receiver Adam Thielen going to injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Quarterback Andy Dalton (ankle) remained on the injury report as a full participant.
Defensive end A’Shawn Robinson (knee) was upgraded from a non-participant to limited.
Cornerback Lonnie Johnson (hip), guard Damien Lewis (elbow), and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (foot) remained non-participants.
Safety Nick Scott (quad) remained limited.
Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney returned to practice after a rest day. Running back Chuba Hubbard was a full participant after he was limited on Wednesday for rest. And offensive tackle Taylor Moton did not practice as a rest day.
Andy Dalton’s move into the starting quarterback job for the Panthers adds a little something to Sunday’s game against the Bengals.
Dalton spent his first nine seasons as the quarterback of the Bengals and he took the team to the playoffs four times while compiling a winning record during his starts for the team. The Bengals moved on when they had a chance to select Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in 2020, which left Dalton to move on to the backup quarterback era of his career.
That era took a turn with last week’s benching of Bryce Young and it gives Dalton a chance to face off with his first NFL team. It’s an opportunity that Burrow said he welcomes when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.
“It’s going to be nice to catch up with them and get to see them,” Dalton said, via Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer. “When you see Cincy on the schedule — I’ve had it every year except last year. So, it’s always fun to get the opportunity to go up against them.”
As Dalton notes, it’s not his first time facing the Bengals. He beat them while playing for the Cowboys and Bears, but took a loss while starting for the Saints in 2022. If he can pilot the Panthers to a win this weekend, he’d send his old team to an 0-4 record while continuing to pump some hope into what looked like a lost cause in Carolina at this time last week.
The Bengals are 0-3 and that means it is time to reconsider their approach to the season.
Some of that has to do with game plans and execution on the field, and quarterback Joe Burrow is also looking at off-field matters. Burrow said on Wednesday that he’s “never really been a big picture vocal kind of guy” when it comes to his leadership style, but that he thinks he may need to take on a new role as the team tries to right the ship after their poor start to the year.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys that we’re counting on that haven’t really been here before. [To] have them hear my voice more might be beneficial,” Burrow said, via the team’s website. “I’ve always just kind of picked my spots of when to do that. I’ve never really been that guy I would say. It still won’t be a big part of who I am, but there’s definitely some spots where [my voice] could be needed.”
Burrow knows “there’s only so much you can do” in terms of leadership affecting results on the field, but he’ll be doing what he can on that front.
