As expected, the Carolina Panthers officially activated a trio of key defenders on Saturday—cornerback Jaycee Horn, safety Jeremy Chinn and outside linebacker Yetur Gross-Matos. But they weren’t the only players who got called on this afternoon.
The Panthers also announced that they’ve elevated two players from their practice squad—offensive lineman Justin McCray and defensive lineman Chris Wormley—for Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both are standard elevations.
McCray, a free-agent signee from this past spring, has spent the much of the campaign as a member of the practice squad. He’s appeared in two games thus far, in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints and in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins—where he recorded four snaps at right guard.
With the Panthers missing Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett and Chandler Zavala for the remainder of the season, McCray will serve as some much-needed depth for the interior offensive line.
Wormley will be making his second consecutive trip up to the game-day roster. Week 12 marked his return to the NFL field after tearing his ACL last season.