Mike Tomlin said his plan to play starters would depend on who the Carolina Panthers intended to play. Turns out, the Panthers don’t plan on playing hardly anyone expected to make the 53-man roster, much less start for the team Week One. Per the Panthers’ website, a whopping 33 players won’t dress for tonight’s preseason finale against the Steelers. That accounts for more than one-third of the team’s roster.
Virtually zero of the team’s starters will suit up. QB Bryce Young, rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan, CB Jaycee Horn, RB Chuba Hubbard, DT Derrick Brown, and the Panthers’ offensive line will watch from the sidelines. Key backups like TE Tommy Tremble, RB Rico Dowdle, and injured players like rookie EDGE Nic Scourton won’t dress either.
Backup QB Andy Dalton won’t play, either. Third-stringer Jack Plummer, who has yet to throw a regular season pass, will get the start instead. Newly signed Bryce Perkins will relieve him sometime later in the game unless the team’s plan is to play Plummer wire-to-wire.
The Panthers’ plan isn’t breaking news. Days ago, head coach Dave Canales told reporters he had zero intention to play his starters. But he’s taking it to an extreme degree by resting any and all of his key players to ensure they’re healthy for Week One against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
How much it alters Tomlin and the Steelers’ plan remains to be seen. Tomlin expressed hope in playing veterans like CBs Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay. The only four he would commit to sitting were QB Aaron Rodgers, WR DK Metcalf, DL Cam Heyward, and EDGE T.J. Watt. But with the Panthers holding out nearly everyone, Tomlin may opt to sit his starters and play his backups the way Pittsburgh has its first two preseason games.
Kickoff is an hour away, meaning answers will come soon.
