The Panthers made a Saturday roster shuffle before Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers, putting Thomas Incoom on injured reserve and activating Bam Martin-Scott for Week 7. Incoom, who hurt his calf last week against the Eagles, must miss at least four weeks.
That is why Panthers Game Today is centering on depth rather than the matchup itself. Martin-Scott had been working back this week after a preseason hamstring issue, and he now has no injury designation for tomorrow. The timing matters because the Panthers needed bodies before kickoff, and Martin-Scott can cover most of the special teams work Incoom had been handling.
Martin-Scott’s return also gives the Panthers a player who saw the field in all 17 games last year. He had been listed as questionable through the week, but he cleared that hurdle in time for Sunday. For a roster that was already dealing with short numbers, that shift gives Carolina a live option instead of another question mark.
The Panthers did more than replace one name. They elevated Nick Hampton and Robert Rochell from the practice squad, signed Malcolm DeWalt IV to the practice squad, and used the moves to patch depth before the Buccaneers arrive. Hampton’s call-up adds another edge player with Jaelan Phillips out this week with a hamstring issue, while Rochell’s elevation is his third. DeWalt, who made the Falcons’ 53-man roster out of camp and was a healthy scratch in each of the first six games, now joins the mix after standing out in the preseason on defense and as a returner.
The clearest takeaway is that the Panthers are buying time. Incoom is gone for at least four weeks, so the special teams role he leaves behind will not be settled by one Saturday move alone. For Sunday, Martin-Scott is the answer. After that, Carolina will keep sorting out who holds the job when the roster has to survive without Incoom.
