As expected, the Carolina Panthers won’t have tight end Ian Thomas and cornerback Dane Jackson ready for tomorrow.
The team announced on Saturday that both Thomas and Jackson have been ruled out for Sunday’s Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears. The two, who began the regular season on injured reserve, returned to practice for the first time at the start of the week.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke about their returns on Monday.
“We talk about competition all the time, and I love what it brings to our group—just being able to get out there, play fast, guys who are excited to get back to football,” he told reporters.
“But again—they gotta be out there, they gotta handle the load. Still, with all that timing, they haven’t been on the field with us running our plays and all that. So this is a great opportunity for those guys to get rolling and for us to get a look at them.”
Thomas has entered his seventh pro season, all of which have come for the Panthers.
Jackson is in his first campaign with Carolina after signing a two-year pact this past spring.
The Panthers will, however, have defensive lineman T.J. Smith and outside linebacker Thomas Incoom available on Sunday. Both were elevated from the practice squad this afternoon.
