Earlier this month, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said that he wasn’t sure whether or not running back Jonathan Stewart would be healthy enough to be an active participant at the start of camp after having surgery on both ankles this offseason.
He’ll get more certainty on that front on Thursday. Rivera said that Stewart will be meeting with doctors for a full physical to determine his status for the start of camp. As you’d expect, Rivera is hoping that the news is positive.
“Thursday is when we’ll get the definitive [answer],” Rivera said, via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “Kind of hoping he’s ready to go, or ready to go in a limited capacity, once we get there on Thursday.”
The Panthers have talked a lot about recommitting to the run game this year with Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert in the backfield, but it will be a lot harder to do if Stewart, who is probably the most talented of the trio, isn’t able to answer the bell. That makes it likely that Stewart’s going to be used lightly in camp and the preseason even if he gets the green light on Thursday.