Panthers list Derrick Brown among players held out of preseason opener vs. Bills

The Carolina Panthers will open their preseason in Buffalo without defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who is among a small group of players not expected to play in Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium, according to the Panthers’ official release. The decision reflects a common preseason approach for teams managing workload early in exhibition games.

In its preview, Carolina said most of its starters are expected to see action for a limited sample, with playtime anticipated in the range of 10 to 20 snaps. Brown, however, is listed as part of the group held out of the first matchup. The team did not frame the move as a long-term absence, but rather as part of its game plan for the opener.

The Panthers’ release also places running back Chuba Hubbard in the same “held out” group for the preseason game in Buffalo. Like Brown, Hubbard is not listed as expected to take the field in the exhibition opener, while other starters are projected to work through abbreviated playing time.

Preseason minutes are often allocated to balance evaluation with physical protection, particularly for interior players and skill-position starters who can be central to a team’s base game plan. For a defensive tackle, the opening exhibition snap count can be less about conditioning and more about ensuring the unit is intact later in camp and that the defensive line can execute assignments at full speed when the coaching staff shifts focus from broad fundamentals to detailed scheme looks.

For the Panthers’ offense, limiting Hubbard’s preseason involvement in Game 1 suggests Carolina may prefer to run more of its initial game-plan actions through other backs and maintain a controlled exposure of a primary ball carrier. That matters because the early preseason work is typically designed to evaluate timing, communication, and situational plays rather than to “win” the opener.

The Panthers-Bills preseason game takes on added meaning because it is one of the first true tests of how both staffs will differentiate their rosters, with Carolina using a mix of limited starter time and roster evaluation for non-starters. For Buffalo, the match up offers a chance to see how their first units defend the Panthers’ base looks when Carolina is not using all of its top personnel at the same time.

Looking ahead, the key question for Carolina is how quickly the held-out players return to full practice readiness and whether the staff increases their involvement in later preseason games. Brown’s and Hubbard’s status for subsequent exhibitions will likely be a primary storyline as the Panthers narrow their roster and continue aligning game reps with final roster decisions.