Story by
Jaelan Phillips Injury Update Leaves Panthers Without Three Starters on Thursday Night
- Story by
- Jaelan Phillips Injury Update Leaves Panthers Without Three Starters on Thursday Night
For the second straight week, the Carolina Panthers will play without Jaelan Phillips. The team ruled its top edge rusher out Wednesday for Thursday night's game against the Green Bay Packers, listing him on the final injury report of the week with the same left hamstring injury that kept him out against Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Dave Canales had called it a close call Monday. "We're [going to] try to get him back for this game but, again, the recurring same hamstring," Canales told reporters . "It's still that kind of a tight window, so it'll be close on that one."
Advertisement
Phillips never got there. He was listed as a non-participant for both walk-throughs this week, and the Panthers made the decision before leaving Charlotte for Wisconsin.
The hamstring has been an issue for nearly a month. Phillips first hurt it late in the Week 4 win over the Detroit Lions, used the bye to recover, then aggravated it in Philadelphia in Week 6, leaving in the first half before returning late in the third quarter. Canales said afterward that the MRI findings meant it was something "we're going to have to treat more intensively," according to ESPN .
Who replaces Jaelan Phillips on the edge
Jul 31, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Princely Umanmielen (3) during Fanfest at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Phillips signed a four-year, $120 million contract in March to fix a pass rush that finished near the bottom of the league in 2025. He has 2.5 sacks in five games, and PFF credits him with 18 pressures and a 68.0 pass-rush grade, production Carolina hasn't found anywhere else on the edge.
Advertisement
Princely Umanmielen started opposite Patrick Jones II against the Buccaneers and held up better than most of his teammates, posting a 69.1 grade that ranked fourth on the defense in PFF's Week 7 grades . Behind him, Trevis Gipson graded at 48.3 and Nick Hampton, who has since been signed to the active roster, finished at 40.9.
Those grades came in a game the Bucs ran for 258 yards during a 43-13 loss at Bank of America Stadium .
Phillips isn't the only starter missing. Left guard Damien Lewis (knee) and cornerback Akayleb Evans (triceps/knee) are also out, along with backup lineman Torricelli Simpkins III (ankle), and defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (hand) is questionable. That leaves Carolina with seven healthy offensive linemen on the 53-man roster after Taylor Moton's fractured fibula sent the right tackle to injured reserve, and just two healthy cornerbacks.
Advertisement
At 3-3 and still atop the NFC South, the Panthers need Phillips healthy for the second half of the season more than they need him back this week. Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have treated the hamstring that way since the Philadelphia game, and Wednesday's call keeps them on that path.
More on the Carolina Panthers
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
