Carolina Panthers place Thomas Incoom on IR, activate Bam Martin-Scott
On Oct. 24, 2026, the Carolina Panthers placed outside linebacker Thomas Incoom on injured reserve after a calf injury suffered last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team said Incoom will miss at least four weeks. To replace him on the active roster for Sundays Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers activated linebacker Bam Martin-Scott from injured reserve. The team announced the moves Oct. 24, 2026.
Martin-Scott returned to practice this week as he continues his recovery from a preseason hamstring issue that sidelined him. The former undrafted rookie from South Carolina played in all 17 games last season for the Panthers. The team expects him to handle many of the special teams duties vacated by Incoom. He had been listed as questionable during the week but did not carry an injury designation for Sundays game.
The Panthers also elevated outside linebacker Nick Hampton and cornerback Robert Rochell from the practice squad by standard elevation. Teams can promote up to two practice-squad players each week and those players automatically revert to the practice squad after the game. Individual players can be elevated up to three times before a team must sign them to the 53-man roster to appear again. This marks Rochell’s third elevation and Hampton’s first, and Hampton adds another edge option while starter Jaelan Phillips is out this week with a hamstring issue.
The Panthers signed cornerback Malcolm DeWalt IV to the practice squad. The undrafted rookie from Akron made the Atlanta Falcons’ 53-man roster out of training camp this year, but Atlanta kept him inactive for each of their first six games. He drew attention in the preseason for his play on defense and as a returner. The team made the moves to address depth concerns ahead of Sunday’s divisional matchup.
NFL Sports Blog Take
With Thomas Incoom headed to injured reserve for at least four weeks, the Panthers moved quickly to reload special teams personnel and edge depth. Bam Martin-Scott’s return from a preseason hamstring issue and his appearance in every game last season make him a reasonable short-term option for special teams. Elevating Nick Hampton provides an additional edge player with Jaelan Phillips sidelined this week, and Robert Rochell’s third elevation reflects Carolina’s need for experienced secondary depth on game day. Adding Malcolm DeWalt IV to the practice squad gives the Panthers an extra defensive back with returner experience to develop.