Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (leg) left practice on Sunday due to injury. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, X-rays on the rookie's lower leg were negative. However, he's not out of the woods just yet, with Rapoport adding an MRI is on the horizon to determine the extent of the injury. The 2024 No. 32 overall pick is coming off a hamstring issue, which kept him from participating in offseason workouts ahead of training camp. While he appeared healthy in a video released shortly after, the latest news from Panthers' practice on Sunday isn't a promising sign regarding his durability. Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen will see targets regardless. Yet, players like Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. could see more attention from Bryce Young if Legette is sidelined for an extended period.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) won't participate in preseason play. Unfortunately, the rookie could also miss time to begin his inaugural year. Brooks, the No. 46 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, tore his ACL in November. With that said, the Panthers will likely limit him once he's healthy enough to return. However, Brooks will presumably compete with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders for touches, meaning it could be challenging for the former Texas Longhorn to do anything substantial for fantasy managers early in the 2024-25 campaign.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (quad) is currently in danger of missing the beginning of the regular season. The 36-year-old suffered a quad injury that is expected to hold him out for a few weeks. This doesn't mean too much for the Panthers considering Bryce Young is the starter in Carolina. Dalton is a 13-year veteran with a ton of experience, but he offers little upside on the field right now. He'll serve as the No. 2 quarterback once he's healthy, so fantasy managers can continue avoiding him.

Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders kept his balance on a hard hit at training camp and finished out his run. Sanders proceeded to point to the media members and said, "All y'all been talking on me, I got something for you!". Sanders is coming off a season in which he, indeed, did not have anything for us. Quarterback Bryce Young added that Sanders has a game mentality in training camp. After a breakout campaign with the Eagles in 2022, Sanders finished 2023 with 432 rushing yards and one touchdown. To make matters worse, Sanders signed a four-year $25 million contract with the Panthers ahead of the 2023 season. By season's end, he had ceded his job to Chuba Hubbard. The Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of April's draft. Unless Sanders can play much better in 2023, this backfield projects to belong to Brooks by season's end. Even so, keep an eye on Sanders through the camp to see if extra motivation can squeeze some production out of him, especially with Brooks on the active/Non-Football injury list as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college.

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list. Penny, who joined the Panthers this offseason, was set to reunite with head coach Dave Canales, the passing game coordinator during Penny's standout 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks, and Brad Idzik, now the Panthers' offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, a series of injuriesincluding multiple strains, a torn ACL, and a fibula fracturehave hindered Penny's once-explosive performance. Despite rigorous rehab, he struggled to regain the speed that made him a dynamic force in college. Penny's 5.6 yards per carry would be the highest in NFL history if he had sustained it. He also recorded 2,248 rushing yards at San Diego State in 2017, ranking fifth for a single season in NCAA history. The former first-round pick had stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Panthers in May. Penny retires with 1,931 career rushing yards, 13 touchdowns on 348 carries, and 28 receptions for 227 yards.