Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

Injuries noted

Carolina Panthers: Ikem Ekwonu (PUP-R) — Coach Dave Canales said Monday that Ekwonu (knee) is still a considerable time away from returning to action, Mike Kaye of ESPN reports.; Nic Scourton (IR) — The Panthers placed Scourton (knee) on injured reserve Friday.; Chris Brazzell II (IR); Brady Christensen (IR) — The Panthers placed Christensen (hamstring) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.; Cam Jackson (IR) — The Panthers placed Jackson (shoulder) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.; Jonathon Brooks (IR) — Brooks (core) was seen jogging at practice Thursday, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.; Xavier Legette (IR) — The Panthers placed Legette (knee) on injured reserve Saturday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.; Mike Jackson (IR) — Head coach Dave Canales said Wednesday that Jackson (groin) underwent core-muscle surgery and will be sidelined about eight weeks, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.; Jaycee Horn (IR) — The Panthers placed Horn (quadriceps) on injured reserve Wednesday.; Thomas Incoom (IR) — The Panthers placed Incoom (calf) on injured reserve Saturday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.; Jaelan Phillips (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Hamstring); practice: DNP. Phillips (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Thursday night's game against the Packers.; Taylor Moton (IR) — The Panthers placed Moton (lower leg) on injured reserve Monday.; Damien Lewis (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Knee); practice: DNP. Lewis (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers.; Torricelli Simpkins III (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Ankle); practice: DNP. Simpkins (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers.; Bobby Brown III (Questionable) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Questionable (Hand); practice: Full.; Akayleb Evans (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Triceps, Knee); practice: DNP.; Bryce Young (No game designation) — Official injury report, Wk 8: No game designation (Knee); practice: Full.; Jalen Coker (No game designation) — Official injury report, Wk 8: No game designation (Shoulder); practice: Full.; Ryan Fitzgerald (No game designation) — Official injury report, Wk 8: No game designation (Illness); practice: Full.

Green Bay Packers: Luke Musgrave (PUP-R) — Packers head coach Matt Lafleur said Thursday it's "tough to say" whether Musgrave (neck) plays this season, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.; Micah Parsons (PUP-R) — Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Parsons (knee) has "a chance" to resume practicing next week, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.; Johnathan Baldwin II (IR) — ir; Warren Brinson (IR) — Green Bay placed Brinson (calf/groin) on injured reserve Saturday.; Collin Oliver (IR-R) — Oliver is dealing with Achilles and calf injuries. and is considered week-to-week, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.; Thomas Yassmin (IR) — Green Bay reverted Yassmin (undisclosed) to injured reserve Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.; Zach Bako-Bewele (IR) — The Packers placed Bako-Bewele (knee) on injured reserve Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.; Jayden Reed (IR) — The Packers are expected to place Reed (neck) on injured reserve Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.; Edgerrin Cooper (IR) — Cooper (Achilles) was placed on injured reserve by the Packers on Tuesday.; Chris Brooks (IR) — The Packers placed Brooks (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday.; Skyy Moore (IR) — The Packers placed Moore (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday.; Javon Hargrave (IR) — The Packers placed Hargrave (Achilles) on injured reserve Saturday.; Jonathan Ford (IR) — The Packers placed Ford (calf) on injured reserve Saturday.; Zaire Franklin (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Shin); practice: DNP. Franklin (shin) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Panthers, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.; Jacob Monk (IR) — The Packers placed Monk (quadriceps) on injured reserve Monday.; Sean Rhyan (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Ankle); practice: DNP. Rhyan (ankle) has been ruled out for Green Bay's matchup versus the Panthers on Thursday.; Travis Glover (Out) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Out (Knee); practice: DNP. Glover (knee) won't play in Green Bay's game versus Carolina on Thursday.; Matthew Golden (Questionable) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Questionable (Shoulder, Foot); practice: Limited. The Packers expect Golden (shoulder/foot), who is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game against the Panthers, to suit up, James Palmer of NFL on Prime Video reports.; Anthony Campbell (Questionable) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Questionable (Ankle); practice: Limited.; Devonte Wyatt (Questionable) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Questionable (Ankle); practice: Limited. Wyatt (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game against the Panthers, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.; Brenton Cox Jr. (Questionable) — Official injury report, Wk 8: Questionable (Quadricep); practice: Limited.; Keisean Nixon (Questionable) — Nixon (shoulder) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Panthers.; Aaron Banks (No game designation) — Official injury report, Wk 8: No game designation (Knee, Toe); practice: Full.; Benjamin St-Juste (No game designation) — Official injury report, Wk 8: No game designation (Hamstring); practice: Full.

QUARTERBACK

• Bryce Young is the projected starting quarterback for CAR

  7.51 Y/A

  Through 6 games in 2026, Bryce Young threw for 1712 passing yards, completed 59.2% of his passes and averaged 7.51 yards per attempt. Last season over 16 games he threw for 3011 yards, completed 63.6% and averaged 6.3 yards per attempt, 23-11 touchdowns to interceptions. This season's 12-4 touchdown-to-interception line is 6 games in.

• Jordan Love is the projected starting quarterback for GB

  7.25 Y/A

  Through 7 games in 2026, Jordan Love threw for 1958 passing yards, completed 60% of his passes and averaged 7.25 yards per attempt. Last season over 15 games he threw for 3381 yards, completed 66.3% and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt, 23-6 touchdowns to interceptions. This season's 13-5 touchdown-to-interception line is 7 games in.

TRENCHES

• CAR: 4.38 yards per rush attempt to GB's 2.86

  1.53 Y/C

  Carolina is running for 4.38 yards a carry over 6 games, near last season's 4.16. Green Bay has collapsed to 2.86 over 7 games from 4.21 last season, a drop big enough that some recovery is likely. For now the Panthers can lean on the run and the Packers cannot. If Green Bay's ground game stays stuck, it becomes a pass-heavy offense that is easier to defend.

• CAR: 105.3 rushing yards per game to GB's 59.9

  45.5 YPG

  Green Bay is running for just 59.9 yards a game, a collapse from 119.8 last season, while Carolina sits near its usual level at 105.3 after 116.3 a year ago. Seven games makes the Packers number more than a fluke, though a jump that large usually drifts back toward normal. Carolina should be the team leaning on the run here, and Green Bay will likely put the game on its passing attack.

• GB: 115 rushing yards allowed per game to CAR's 153.2

  38.2 YPG

  Carolina has been easy to run on, giving up 153.2 rushing yards a game over six games, while Green Bay allows 115. Rush yards allowed rise when a team trails and opponents sit on the ball, so some of Carolina's number may come from game flow. Over six games it is still a real pattern. If Green Bay gets ahead, its ground game should have room to keep piling up yards.

PASS RUSH

• GB: 2 sacks taken per game to CAR's 2.83

  0.83 SACKS

  CAR is at 2.83 sacks taken per game over 6 games; GB is at 2 over 7 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 28. Last season CAR was at 2.19 over 17 games and GB at 2.07 over 17 games.

• GB: 11.1 sack yards lost per game to CAR's 17.2

  6 YDS

  CAR is at 17.2 sack yards lost per game over 6 games; GB is at 11.1 over 7 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 28. Last season CAR was at 16 over 17 games and GB at 16.3 over 17 games.

PACE & SCRIPT

• GB: 20.7 points allowed per game to CAR's 27.7

  7 PPG

  CAR is at 27.7 points allowed per game over 6 games; GB is at 20.7 over 7 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 28. Last season CAR was at 22.4 over 17 games and GB at 21.2 over 17 games.

• CAR: 26.5 points per game to GB's 20.6

  5.9 PPG

  CAR is at 26.5 points per game over 6 games; GB is at 20.6 over 7 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 28. Last season CAR was at 18.3 over 17 games and GB at 23 over 17 games.

TURNOVERS

• GB: 1.86 takeaways per game to CAR's 1.17

  0.69 TO

  Green Bay has forced 1.86 turnovers a game over seven games, ahead of Carolina's 1.17 over six. Takeaway numbers jump around more than most defensive stats, so expect the gap to narrow over the rest of the season. In this matchup it points toward the Packers as the defense more likely to steal a possession, which matters most in close spreads.

EXPLOSIVE PLAYS

• CAR: 5.8 yards per play to GB's 5.34

  0.46 Y/P

  Carolina is gaining more ground per snap than Green Bay this season, a reversal from last season when the Panthers sat at 4.92 and the Packers at 5.61. Carolina's jump is the bigger move, and its last game leaned on two chunk plays, a 50-yard Waller touchdown pass and a 33-yarder, while Green Bay ripped off 6 plays of 20+ yards through Jordan Love. Six games is a short run against a full prior season, so some pullback is likely. With this game at Lambeau, weigh how much of Carolina's number comes from a few explosive snaps.

RED ZONE

• CAR: 65.2% red-zone scoring rate to GB's 46.2%

  19.1 PP

  Carolina scores touchdowns on 65.2% of red-zone trips through six games, up from 53.3% last season. Green Bay is at 46.2% over seven games after 57.6% last year. Red-zone rates swing on a handful of trips, so both teams are likely to drift back toward last season's marks. A Carolina team living on red-zone efficiency on the road is the kind of profile that tends to cool, so lean on drive quality over finishing rate when sizing up this game.

MISMATCH

• CAR: 105.3 rush yards a game to GB's 59.9

  105.3 VS 59.9

  Carolina runs for 105.3 yards a game over 6 games against Green Bay's 59.9 over 7. The Packers ran for 119.8 last season, so their ground game has collapsed by about half, while Carolina is near last season's 116.3. A drop that steep for Green Bay is likely to come back up some, but for now it puts the Packers in obvious passing downs. That makes the Packers' offense more one-dimensional, and Carolina's rush can sit on the pass.

COVERAGE

• GB: 4.87 yards per play allowed to CAR's 5.32

  0.45 Y/P

  Green Bay allows 4.87 yards per play over 7 games, and Carolina allows 5.32 over 6. Green Bay's defense limits each snap better, with nearly half a yard less given up per play. Without schedule detail on the sheet, it is hard to say how much opponents shaped either number, but seven games gives the edge some weight. For Carolina at Green Bay, the Panthers' offense runs into the better defense, a factor for their scoring and yardage lines.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

• CAR lead the series with GB since 2025

  1-0 SERIES

  This series is one game deep: Carolina won 16-13 at Green Bay on Nov 2 last season. That was a three-point game with neither offense getting much going, so the 1-0 edge says more about one close afternoon than about who owns this matchup. One meeting is a thin base for any read, and rosters have turned over since then. Expect this one to be set by how both teams have played this season, with last year's low score as a mild hint that this pairing can stay tight.

REPLACEMENT

• Haynes King (QB) is out for CAR

  OUT

  King is a healthy scratch on Thursday night in Green Bay, inactive by coach's decision, and he is listed as Carolina's emergency third quarterback. He only plays if both quarterbacks ahead of him go down. The sheet gives no injury and no recent snaps for him, so this is a roster call with no effect on the expected Panthers game plan.

• Ja'Tavion Sanders (TE) is out for CAR

  OUT

  Sanders is inactive for Thursday night at Green Bay by coach's decision, with no injury listed. Carolina chose to sit him, so tight end snaps go to whoever is dressed. For a bettor, that narrows the Panthers' tight end looks this week. The sheet gives no reason beyond the coach's call.

• Jaelan Phillips (LB) is out for CAR

  OUT

  Phillips will not play Thursday night at Green Bay because of a hamstring injury, and the status is final: out means he is not dressing. The fact sheet does not name who takes his snaps, so the Panthers will need someone else at linebacker. A bettor should check Carolina's depth chart before kickoff and think about how a thinner front holds up against the Packers on a short week.

• Sean Rhyan (G) is out for GB

  OUT

  GB lists Sean Rhyan as out on the injury report. Reported Oct 29.

• Donovan Jennings (G) is out for GB

  OUT

  GB lists Donovan Jennings as out on the injury report. Reported Oct 29.

• AJ Dillon (RB) is out for CAR

  OUT

  Dillon is inactive for Thursday night at Green Bay as a coach's decision, with no injury listed. The Panthers chose to leave him off the game-day roster, so the carries go to the backs who are active. Nothing here suggests a change in how Carolina plans to run the ball.

• Kaleb Johnson (RB) is out for GB

  OUT

  Johnson is inactive for Thursday against Carolina by coach's decision, with no injury listed. Green Bay is leaving him off the game-day roster, and the backs who are active will take the carries. This reads as a depth choice, and it gives no sign of a shift in the Packers' rushing plan.

• Jonnu Smith (TE) is out for GB

  OUT

  Jonnu Smith is inactive for Thursday's game against Carolina as a coach's decision, so there is no injury here. Out means he will not suit up. A coach's decision points to a roster or matchup choice, and the tight end snaps go to whoever Green Bay keeps active at the spot. Bettors should look for that player's role Thursday.

• Bobby Brown III (DT) is out for CAR

  OUT

  Brown (hand) is inactive for Thursday night's matchup against the Packers, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official website reports. Reported Oct 29.

• Damien Lewis (G) is out for CAR

  OUT

  Lewis (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers. Reported Oct 29.

• Torricelli Simpkins III (G) is out for CAR

  OUT

  Simpkins (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers. Reported Oct 29.

• Travis Glover (OT) is out for GB

  OUT

  GB lists Travis Glover as out on the injury report. Reported Oct 29.

• Zaire Franklin (LB) is out for GB

  OUT

  GB lists Zaire Franklin as out on the injury report. Reported Oct 29.

• Christian Watson (WR) is questionable for GB

  QUESTIONABLE

  Watson (chest) is questionable to return to Thursday night's game against the Panthers, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports. Reported Oct 30.

• Will Lee III (CB) is questionable for CAR

  QUESTIONABLE

  Lee is dealing with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to return to Thursday's Week 8 matchup against Green Bay, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. Reported Oct 30.

• Micah Parsons (DE) is pup-r for GB

  PUP-R

  Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Parsons (knee) has "a chance" to resume practicing next week, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports. Reported Oct 28.

• Luke Musgrave (TE) is pup-r for GB

  PUP-R

  Packers head coach Matt Lafleur said Thursday it's "tough to say" whether Musgrave (neck) plays this season, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports. Reported Oct 22.

• Taylor Moton (OT) is on injured reserve for CAR

  IR

  The Panthers placed Moton (lower leg) on injured reserve Monday. Reported Oct 26.

• Skyy Moore (WR) is on injured reserve for GB

  IR

  The Packers placed Moore (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday. Reported Oct 17.

• Akayleb Evans (CB) is on injured reserve for CAR

  IR

  Evans (triceps) was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers on Thursday, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports. Reported Oct 30.

• Jacob Monk (C) is on injured reserve for GB

  IR

  The Packers placed Monk (quadriceps) on injured reserve Monday. Reported Oct 26.

• Thomas Incoom (LB) is on injured reserve for CAR

  IR

  The Panthers placed Incoom (calf) on injured reserve Saturday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports. Reported Oct 24.

• Jonathan Ford (DT) is on injured reserve for GB

  IR

  The Packers placed Ford (calf) on injured reserve Saturday. Reported Oct 18.

• Javon Hargrave (DT) is on injured reserve for GB

  IR

  The Packers placed Hargrave (Achilles) on injured reserve Saturday. Reported Oct 18.

PRACTICE REPORT

• Jaelan Phillips

  Out

  Hamstring · Did not practice · Out

• Travis Glover

  Out

  Knee · Did not practice · Out

• Zaire Franklin

  Out

  Shin · Did not practice · Out

• Akayleb Evans

  Out

  Triceps, Knee · Did not practice · Out

• Damien Lewis

  Out

  Knee · Did not practice · Out

• Sean Rhyan

  Out

  Ankle · Did not practice · Out

• Torricelli Simpkins III

  Out

  Ankle · Did not practice · Out

• Devonte Wyatt

  Questionable

  Ankle · Limited practice · Questionable

• Anthony Campbell

  Questionable

  Ankle · Limited practice · Questionable

• Bobby Brown III

  Questionable

  Hand · Full practice · Questionable

• Brenton Cox Jr.

  Questionable

  Quadricep · Limited practice · Questionable

• Matthew Golden

  Questionable

  Shoulder, Foot · Limited practice · Questionable

• Ryan Fitzgerald

  FP

  Full practice

• Benjamin St-Juste

  FP

  Full practice

• Bryce Young

  FP

  Full practice

• Jalen Coker

  FP

  Full practice

• Aaron Banks

  FP

  Full practice

SITUATIONAL

• CAR: 22.3 first downs per game to GB's 17.6

  4.8 FD

  CAR is at 22.3 first downs per game over 6 games; GB is at 17.6 over 7 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 28. Last season CAR was at 18 over 17 games and GB at 19.6 over 17 games.

• CAR: 41% third-down conversion rate to GB's 35.2%

  5.9 PP

  CAR is at 41% third-down conversion rate over 6 games; GB is at 35.2% over 7 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 28. Last season CAR was at 36.1% over 17 games and GB at 48.8% over 17 games.

• CAR (3-3) at GB (4-3)

  +6 PT GAP

  This is about as even as it gets. Carolina is 3-3 at -7 and Green Bay is 4-3 at -1, and both lost their last game. Carolina is 2-1 on the road and Green Bay is 2-1 at home, small samples that cancel out. Nothing in these numbers marks either team as clearly better, so neither record looks badly out of line.

• CAR is on a short week

  4d vs 4d

  Carolina and Green Bay both come in on 4 days of rest, so neither side has a calendar edge. Carolina adds travel to the short week, which is the one difference. Expect both teams to lean on simple game plans.

AFTER GARY

• GB -3.5 → -3.5

  NOW +0.45PP

  Gary's number was -3.5; the same book now shows -3.5.