Panthers shuffle roster; place Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson on injured reserve
The Carolina Panthers placed starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on injured reserve on Sept. 30 and re-signed linebacker Maema Njongmeta to the practice squad on Oct. 1, the team announced. The Panthers made the moves as they prepared for Sunday night’s prime-time game against the Detroit Lions. The transactions left the secondary relying on several younger options while the team shuffled depth across multiple positions for the upcoming week.
Njongmeta, a linebacker and special-teams contributor, was active last week and forced a fumble on kickoff coverage. The Panthers had moved Njongmeta between the active roster and the practice squad multiple times in late September before returning him to the practice squad this week. The move preserves a known special-teams playmaker as the club navigates injuries.
On Sept. 30 the Panthers also waived linebacker Claudin Cherelus with an injury settlement and signed wide receiver David Moore and running back Tre Tyus to the active roster from the practice squad. The team added cornerback Robert Rochell to the practice squad the same day. Those moves provided short-term help at receiver and in the run game while the club adjusted the roster around the injured corners.
Other recent transactions included signing guard Torricelli Simpkins to the active roster from the practice squad on Sept. 29 and bringing guard Saahdiq Charles back to the practice squad on Sept. 28. The Panthers added offensive lineman Isaia Glass, outside linebacker Cam Gill and other familiar faces to the practice squad over the past week as they worked to build depth. Earlier, the team placed third-year running back Jonathon Brooks on injured reserve on Sept. 23 and signed safety Isaiah Simmons to the active roster the same day. Brooks is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks.
NFL Sports Blog Take
The Panthers’ series of moves this week underscores an increasing reliance on depth and special-teams contributors as injuries mount. Placing both Horn and Mike Jackson on injured reserve removes two experienced players from the starting secondary and accelerates opportunities for younger corners on the roster and those added to the practice squad. Returning Njongmeta to the practice squad preserves a proven special-teams performer, while short-term elevations such as David Moore and Tre Tyus show the staff is managing immediate game-day needs while maintaining depth across units.