Panthers shift roster before Hall of Fame Game, place Saahdiq Charles on injured reserve and recall Jake Curhan

The Carolina Panthers made a significant roster adjustment before the Hall of Fame Game, placing offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles on injured reserve after a calf injury kept him out of recent practices. The move indicates the team will manage Charles’ availability on a longer timeline while continuing to sort out its offensive line depth during the late stages of training camp.

The Panthers’ corresponding transaction was to bring back offensive lineman Jake Curhan. Curhan’s return adds another experienced option to the group ahead of the NFL’s preseason opener in Canton, Ohio, where starters and key reserves often see their first extended live reps of the exhibition slate.

Charles, listed as a veteran guard in the team announcement, had been part of Carolina’s interior competition as the Panthers worked to establish consistent protection and run-blocking identity. With the calf issue limiting his practice time, placing him on injured reserve effectively removes him from the day-to-day shuffle, and it forces the staff to lean more heavily on other interior linemen and swing options for the immediate preseason window.

Curhan’s presence matters because the offensive line tends to be one of the toughest units to stabilize early in training camp, especially as teams evaluate communication, pass protection assignments, and depth behind the starters. Adding Curhan back gives Carolina another body with the ability to absorb game-week preparation demands and provide flexibility across the line as the team measures who can handle regular-season-style snaps.

The timing is also notable. The Hall of Fame Game is not a league-designated trade deadline point, but it does function as a practical checkpoint in the preseason. By handling Charles’ status and recalling Curhan before Canton, the Panthers are shaping their first major exhibition looks around the players the coaching staff believes can contribute most immediately.

For fans tracking roster competition, the most direct takeaway is that the interior of the line will look different in Carolina’s early exhibition planning. With Charles unavailable, opportunities increase for linemen competing to solidify roles as backups, injury insurance, and starters-by-default if the team’s opening depth chart changes.

The Panthers will now manage the next steps for Charles from the injured reserve designation while continuing to evaluate the group around him. Curhan’s return sets up what to watch in the opening exhibition reps, particularly how Carolina balances continuity with experimentation across protection and run schemes.