Carolina Panthers Rule Out Four Players Ahead of Thursday at Packers
CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE
The Carolina Panthers ruled four players out on the final injury report of the week before they depart for Thursday night’s game at Green Bay, the team announced Wednesday. The Panthers announced the report Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, and said it is largely a projection after the club held only walk-through practices this week. The report covers the team’s final evaluations ahead of its Week 8 matchup in Green Bay.
Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips (hamstring) is among those ruled out; he also missed last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Left guard Damien Lewis was ruled out with a knee issue. Cornerback Akayleb Evans was listed out with triceps and knee concerns, and backup offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins III was ruled out with an ankle injury, the team reported.
That leaves the Carolina Panthers with just seven healthy offensive linemen on the 53-man roster and two healthy cornerbacks, pending any transactions before the game. The team listed defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (hand) as questionable, and no other players on the report received a game designation. The Panthers added kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to the report Wednesday with an illness but did not give him a designation.
NFL Sports Blog Take
The absences create immediate depth concerns up front and in the secondary because Phillips factors into the edge rotation and Damien Lewis is a starting interior lineman. Limited intraweek work makes the Wednesday report more projection than prediction, and the roster numbers cited by the team underscore those concerns. Carolina could make short-term roster moves before the game to address the shortages. The status of Bobby Brown III merits monitoring for interior defensive rotation.