Dealing with injuries is nothing new for the Carolina Panthers. They've had their fair share in recent years and again this season. How head coach Dave Canales navigates them will go a long way to determining the team's eventual outlook in 2025.
The offensive line adjusted well to the absences of Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett. But with their receiver room looking increasingly shaky on the health front, one notable clue didn't go unnoticed by a respected Panthers insider.
Xavier Legette missed Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons with a hamstring problem. Jalen Coker remains week to week on injured reserve. First-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan is dealing with a calf issue, although he's confident of suiting up when it counts this weekend against the New England Patriots.
The Panthers aren't going to leave anything to chance. Canales and Dan Morgan have contingency plans for every eventuality. And this week, that included signing Dan Chisena back onto the practice squad.
Carolina Panthers could get Dan Chisena back involved amid injury concerns
Chisena featured three times last season. He was brought back, but didn't do enough to make the 53-man roster. Now, he's returned, and Joe Person from The Athletic noted that the versatile receiver got some work with the first-string offense immediately.
"Someone else to keep an eye on is Dan Chisena, a 28-year-old who returned to the Panthers’ practice squad this week. Chisena was active for the final three games in 2024, and apparently got some work on the main field Wednesday."Joe Person
This is intriguing. Chisena possesses some decent qualities and is an outstanding special-teams presence, to boot. If Legette can't go again, perhaps he'll move ahead of sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr., who looks like a development project potentially redshirting his first year in a professional environment.
McMillan, David Moore, Hunter Renfrow, and Brycen Tremayne would be the preferred quartet without Legette. If the Panthers decide to activate a fifth, Canales could give Chisena the nod over Horn.
It could easily go the other way, but with Trevor Etienne retaining kick and punt return responsibilities despite his fumble versus the Falcons, it seems feasible. Time will tell, but don't be surprised if there is enough confidence in Chisena to pluck him from the unemployment line and throw him immediately into the fire.
Chisena spent the summer in Carolina, so he'll be well-versed in the schematic concepts and the demands on special teams. That should make the transition go smoothly if he's called up, but it's likely dependent on the health of others when the time comes.
Until something is confirmed one way or another, we wait.