The Carolina Panthers have placed Xavier Legette on injured reserve ahead of Sunday night's matchup against the Detroit Lions. Legette sustained a knee injury during the Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons and will now miss at least three additional games. Leading wide receiver Jalen Coker (quad) enters the weekend with a questionable tag, prompting the Panthers to elevate Ja'seem Reed from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Sunday as insurance.
"Well, Ja'seem will come up and help," coach Dave Canales said Friday. "Last week, we finished the game with Brycen, [he] made a couple of nice plays for us. David Moore also was up catching punts, and he's able to help us out that way."
Reed, if officially active against Detroit, will make his NFL regular-season debut in prime time. The 2025 undrafted free agent caught seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns in three preseason games this summer. With Reed's elevation, the Panthers also promoted veteran cornerback Robert Rochell from the practice squad to provide depth alongside Will Lee III and Akayleb Evans.
Right tackle Monroe Freeling cleared concussion protocol and will start against the Lions. However, several notable players remain on injured reserve, including Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Nic Scourton, Chris Brazzell II, Brady Christensen, Jonathon Brooks, Trevor Etienne, and Bam Martin-Scott. Starting tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton are on the PUP and NFI lists, respectively.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing