Carolina Panthers announce roster moves ahead of Sunday's matchup against Atlanta

The Carolina Panthers are activating two additional players for this Sunday’s matchup against division rival the Atlanta Falcons. This matchup between division foes Goes beyond bragging rights as both teams are gunning for a spot in the playoffs. In their division, Carolina and Atlanta are in a 3-way tie with New Orleans at 5-7 and are all sitting one spot out of the sixth and seventh spots in the NFC. And a win come Sunday we’ll put the Panthers one step closer to a playoff berth; which is why they are bringing in additional help.

On Saturday, the Panthers announced that they will activate left tackle Cameron Erving and outside linebacker Frankie Luvu. Erving is Carolina’s starting left tackle and is expected to reclaim his starting position against Atlanta. Irving spent the last three weeks on the injured reserve list while dealing with a calf injury. He made his return from IR this past Monday and has been a participant in practice all week since.

Luvu is a special team’s stand out for the Panthers, who has recently been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. The 25-year-old linebacker from Washington state leads Carolina in special teams tackles. He’s also blocked a punt and forced a fumble. But Luvu is not just limited to special teams and has contributed to the Panthers’ defense with three fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks.

Panthers Stephon Gilmore calls out Patriots

Former New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore wasn’t pleased with the way the team handled his rehab from a quad injury. In a recent article from The Athletic, Gilmore criticized the Patriots staff for making him do too much.

“I didn’t show up there over the summer, so I was on the right track,” he said. “And then I show up there and start on all the unnecessary stuff. Like, right before I got traded, I ran like 3,000 yards in three days. Like a real workout. It’s like, why would you do all that right before you trade me? You don’t do that. Let me do it my way. I don’t know if they were trying to test (the leg) and see, I don’t know. I’m not the type of guy that says, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that.’ I work hard. I do my stuff. I just think that wasn’t right.”

A former Pro Bowler, Gilmore underwent surgery for the injury last December. He anticipated working his way back to play for New England, but the team had other plans.

On Oct. 6, the Patriots traded Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He did not play a game for New England in 2021.

The veteran made his 2021 debut on Halloween in the Panthers’ game against Atlanta. So far this season, he has recorded eight tackles, two interceptions and two passes defended.