The Panthers have added some veterans to supplement positions hit by injuries.
The Carolina Panthers have signed quarterback Jake Luton to temporarily replace injured backup quarterback Andy Dalton. It’ll be Luton’s second stint with the Panthers if you only count the times he’s changed teams. He spent last preseason with the team and was on the practice squad for a good chunk of the season. He was poached by the Saints, who subsequently let him go a few weeks later before he signed with the Panthers again. He’s been unemployed all offseason before signing with the Panthers. At 6’6”, he’s a very similar quarterback to starter Bryce Young.
Elsewhere, the Panthers have made a couple of signings to bolster a rapidly disintegrating tight end room. Both Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas are dealing with calf injuries that will have them sidelined a couple of weeks. That makes rookie 4th round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders the de facto starter. The Panthers added depth behind him by signing Jacob Hollister on Sunday and Jesper Horsted on Monday.
Hollister has been in the league since 2017. His most notable seasons came in Seattle, where he had a couple of decent three touchdown seasons in 2019 and 2020. He’s bounced around on practice squads since then.
Horsted was a standout wide receiver for Princeton but has converted to tight end at the NFL level. He spent a few seasons with the Bears and Raiders as a depth tight end. He’ll try to find a similar niche in Carolina.