Let’s get this out of the way – is there any doubt that Cam Newton plays on Sunday?
“There is no doubt,” Ron Rivera said Thursday after his quarterback was listed as limited for two consecutive sessions and didn’t throw during the media portion of practice. “None at all.”
While the questions are eliminated about the quarterback position, they still remain for wide receiver Torrey Smith, who hasn’t practiced this week and was generally cagey about answering questions about his injury in the locker room as he responded with a big smile to every question – answers included “I feel great,” “I’m always hopeful to play on Sunday,” and when asked if he could run – “I could beat you in a race!”
Rivera said that even if Smith doesn’t practice, he could still play on Sunday.
“We’ve been through this before with veteran players,” said Rivera. “There are some guys that don’t have to practice as much, they’ve gone through it, they’ve been in this situation and so, if everything checks out for Torrey later this week, then he’ll get an opportunity to play.”
Although he could play with no practice, it seems unlikely.
Rashaan Gaulden suffered an ankle injury during practice on Wednesday that kept him off the field on Thursday; Rivera said they were preparing Colin Jones to take some snaps if Gaulden can’t go, as well as a “combination of DBs” to use in an emergency situation.
As the week winds down in preparation for Sunday against Baltimore, it seems likely that barring a setback, the only players that are in danger of missing Week 8 are linebacker Andre Smith, who is still out with a lingering hamstring issue – although he was at practice this week working on the side – and Gaulden. The Panthers release their final injury report tomorrow.
Check out the full Thursday injury report below:
| Player | Injury | Practice Participation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Rest | Full | |
| Julius Peppers | Rest | Full | |
| Mario Addison | Back | Limited | |
| Torrey Smith | Knee | None | |
| Andre Smith | Hamstring | None | |
| Greg Olsen | Foot | Limited | |
| Cam Newton | Right Shoulder | Limited | |
| Rashaan Gaulden | Ankle | None |
