Ja'Tavion Sanders - Page 2 - NFL News, Rumors, & Updates

Officially limited Wednesday Sanders (ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday.

Impact This marks Sanders' first on-field activity since he sustained a high right-ankle sprain Week 3 against the Falcons. He may need to practice fully by Friday in order to enter the weekend without a designation for Sunday's game versus the Cowboys. In three games this season, Sanders has hauled in 11 of 14 targets for 92 yards and no touchdowns.

OCTOBER 8, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Back at practice Sanders (ankle) is participating in Wednesday's practice, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Impact Sanders is practicing for the first time since suffering a right high-ankle sprain Week 3 versus the Falcons. After having missed the last two games, it appears the second-year pro could have a chance to return for Sunday's matchup against Dallas. If cleared to play Week 6, Sanders will rejoin Tommy Tremble atop the depth chart at the tight end position.

OCTOBER 8, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Won't play Sunday Sanders (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact With Sanders set to miss his second straight game, Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans will lead the team's TE corps versus Miami, with Mitchell Evans in reserve. In Carolina's Week 4 loss to the Patriots, Tremble caught five of his eight targets for 42 yards and a touchdown, while Evans caught three of his four targets for 23 yards and a touchdown. Sanders' next chance to see game action will arrive Oct. 12 against the Cowboys.

OCTOBER 3, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Sits out another practice Sanders (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact After sitting out last week's loss to the Patriots due to a right ankle sprain, Sanders may be trending toward a second straight absence this Sunday against the Dolphins. He sat out Wednesday's walk-through session and remained a spectator Thursday, leaving him with just one more opportunity to log some on-field work before the Week 5 contest. If Sanders remains out this weekend, Tommy Tremble would be in line for another start at tight end after producing a 5-42-1 receiving line on eight targets in the loss to New England.

OCTOBER 2, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Remains sidelined at practice Sanders (ankle) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice.

Impact Sanders hasn't been able to take part in drills since he suffered a high right-ankle sprain during a Week 3 win against the Falcons. Until he gets back on the practice field, he's unlikely to be a consideration for game days, leaving Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans and even James Mitchell to man tight end for the Panthers in the interim.

OCTOBER 1, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Ruled out this week Sanders (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at New England.

Impact It's a mere technicality, with Sanders expected to miss multiple games after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 3. The Panthers are left with Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans and James Mitchell as their top tight ends, making Tremble a clear favorite to start even if he's unlikely to see more than a few targets.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Considered week-to-week Sanders (ankle) is week-to-week due to the high-ankle sprain he suffered during the Panthers' win over the Falcons in Week 3, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Sanders is not practicing Wednesday but is also not wearing the walking boot he was previously spotted in, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The second-year pro appears on track to sit out Sunday's road matchup against the Patriots, and possibly longer, but the team hasn't yet officially provided an official timetable for his recovery. If Sanders indeed misses time, in his absence Tommy Tremble will be positioned for an uptick in receiving work.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Diagnosed with high-ankle sprain Sanders has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following his MRI on Monday and is expected to miss multiple weeks, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Impact Sanders' injury could make him a candidate for IR, in which case he'd be required to sit out at least four contests. The second-year tight end was forced out of Sunday's win over the Falcons in the fourth quarter. As long as Sanders is unable to take the field, Tommy Tremble will figure to handle a modest uptick in receiving volume in addition to his usual blocking responsibilities.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Awaiting MRI results The Panthers are awaiting MRI results to diagnose the severity of Sanders' right ankle/foot injury, though initial X-rays were encouraging, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Sanders was forced out of Sunday's blowout win over the Falcons early, though he secured both of his targets for 11 yards before leaving the field. The second-year pro has operated as Carolina's top pass-catching tight end, so if he were to miss any time it would provide an opportunity for Tommy Tremble to take on extra receiving work.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Exits early with ankle injury Sanders sustained an ankle injury during Sunday's game versus the Falcons, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Sanders was being attended to by team trainers before the Panthers tagged him as questionable to return early in the fourth quarter. He hauled in both of his targets for 11 yards prior to his departure.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Monster PPR effort Sunday Sanders corralled seven of nine targets for 54 yards in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Cardinals.

Impact Sanders finished as the second-leading receiver for Carolina behind impressive rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan's 100-yard game. The 22-year-old Sanders has taken a firm grasp of the No. 1 tight end role over Tommy Tremble (3-20-0) after producing seven receptions for 81 yards through two appearances. Sanders is shaping up to be a solid PPR option in Week 3 when the Panthers host the Falcons next Sunday.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Logs 27 yards in Week 1 Sanders caught two of his three targets for 27 yards during Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Jaguars.

Impact The second-year pro from Texas appears to be the Panthers' top tight end following the Week 1 loss, playing 39 offensive snaps -- 10 more than backup Tommy Tremble. Sanders drew just three targets Sunday but showcased his ability to make plays as a vertical threat, catching an 18-yard pass from Bryce Young. If Carolina's defense continues to struggle and forces Young into pass-heavy game scripts, Sanders could develop into a viable streaming option as the season progresses. He will look to build on his performance in Week 2 when the Panthers travel to Arizona.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Overlooked TE Ja'Tavion Sanders predicted to be Panthers' breakout player The tight end position just didn’t get a lot of attention in Carolina this past season. That could change this upcoming season, according to...

SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 • SI.COM

Listed as No. 1 tight end Sanders is listed as the Panthers' top tight end on the first unofficial depth chart of the 2025 regular season, which was released Thursday, Darin Gantt of the team's official sit...

Impact Sanders is listed above Tommy Tremble, who missed most of training camp and the preseason while recovering from offseason back surgery. While Sanders was always expected to handle the majority of pass-catching reps at tight end entering Year 2, while Tremble would see more blocking work, this development bodes well for the second-year pro's odds of leading the team in snaps at the position. With Jalen Coker (quadriceps) on short-term IR and Adam Thielen having been traded to Minnesota, Sanders' outlook in terms of volume has improved heading into Sunday's regular-season opener against the Jaguars.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Standing out at camp Sanders is "shining" at training camp, according to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer.

Impact It sounds like Sanders has been especially impressive during red-zone drills, catching a bunch of TD passes from Bryce Young. The 2024 fourth-round pick finished his rookie season with a 33-342-1 receiving line, serving as Carolina's top pass-catching TE for much of last season while splitting snaps with Tommy Tremble, who currently resides on the PUP list with a back injury. A strong summer could help Sanders take more snaps away from Tremble come September.

AUGUST 1, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Finishes rookie campaign strong Sanders caught three of his five targets for 35 yards in Sunday's 44-38 overtime win against the Falcons.

Impact Sanders had really struggled since returning from his neck injury in the Week 14 loss to the Eagles, managing to catch just one of his three targets for five yards over four games prior to Sunday's performance. The rookie tight end from Texas finished as the Panthers' fourth-leading receiver in Week 18, outpacing fellow tight end Tommy Tremble (30 yards). Sanders finished his rookie campaign as Carolina's top receiver from the tight end spot, recording 33 receptions for 342 yards and one touchdown in 16 appearances.

JANUARY 6, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Held without a catch again Sanders failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 30-14 loss to the Cowboys.

Impact Since returning from a neck injury in Week 14, Sanders has seen just two targets and failed to catch either. He was out-produced by Tommy Tremble for the second consecutive game, with Tremble recording three receptions for 18 yards and one touchdown during that span. Sanders' offensive role appears to have diminished as of late, and he will likely continue to split Carolina's top tight end duties with Tremble as the season progresses.

DECEMBER 16, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Quiet in return Sanders failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles.

Impact The 2024 fourth-round pick missed the Panthers' Week 13 loss to the Buccaneers after sustaining a neck injury the game prior, and he delivered a lackluster performance in his return Sunday. Sanders was not targeted in the final three quarters the Week 14 loss after failing to connect with Bryce Young on a deep ball in the first quarter. Despite this, the rookie still leads the Panthers' tight end corps in receiving yards (302) and receptions (29) in 11 appearances this season. He'll likely continue to split offensive snaps with Tommy Tremble in Week 15, when the Cowboys visit Carolina.

DECEMBER 9, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Back in action Sunday Sanders (neck) is listed as active Sunday at Philadelphia, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Sanders is back after missing one game due to a neck injury that he sustained following a scary fall back in Week 12 against the Chiefs. He'll thus act as Carolina's top tight end Sunday against an Eagles defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest YPT (6.16) to opposing tight ends this season.

DECEMBER 8, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Should play after full practice Sanders (neck) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Philadelphia after being a full practice participant Friday, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.

Impact Panthers coach Dave Canales said after Friday's practice that he expects Sanders to play, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The rookie missed Week 13 after taking a hard hit Week 12, pausing a run of strong form in which he'd caught nine of 10 targets for 144 yards and a TD over the span of two and a half games. Sanders has been one of Carolina's more productive pass catchers on a per-route basis this year, but he's only been a full-time starter in the absence of fellow tight end Tommy Tremble, who currently is healthy.

DECEMBER 6, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Remains limited Thursday Sanders (neck) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Impact Sanders made an early exit from a Week 12 loss to the Chiefs due to a neck injury, which required a cart for him to get to the locker room and a hospital visit for further evaluation. He didn't practice at all last week before the Panthers ruled him out for this past Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Sanders got back on the field Wednesday but was donning a red non-contact jersey, leaving him limited. One day later, he had ditched that jersey, per Joe Person of The Athletic, but Sanders' activity level remained the same. Sanders thus will have one more session to prove his health ahead of Sunday's visit to the Eagles.

DECEMBER 5, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Practices in non-contact jersey Sanders (neck) was limited Wednesday and wore a red non-contact jersey at the portion of practice open to the media, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Head coach Dave Canales said Monday he's hopeful Sanders, who hasn't played since injuring his neck Week 12, will be able to return Sunday versus the Eagles. The rookie fourth-round pick didn't practice last week, so it's encouraging to see him back on the field Wednesday, but he'll need to resume handling full contact reps in short order for a chance at retaking the field Week 14. Tommy Tremble racked up a season-high 77 yards on five catches (eight targets) in Week 13 with Sanders sidelined.

DECEMBER 4, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Hopeful for Week 14 Coach Dave Canales said Monday that the hope is Sanders (neck) will be able to return next Sunday against the Eagles, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Impact Sanders injured his neck in Week 12 against the Chiefs and didn't practice last week before missing this past Sunday's loss to the Bucs. With Sanders out versus Tampa Bay, Tremble played 100 percent of the offensive snaps for the first time in his career and set career highs across the board in targets (eight), catches (five) and yards (77).

DECEMBER 2, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Out this week Sanders (neck) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.

Impact Sanders unsurprisingly hasn't practiced since suffering a serious-looking injury during last week's loss to the Chiefs. With his promising rookie season on hold, the Panthers figure to turn back to Tommy Tremble as their top tight end. Tremble played every snap on offense after Sanders' early departure last Sunday.

NOVEMBER 29, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

DNP on Thursday Sanders (neck) was listed as a non-participant on Thursday's practice report, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Sanders is in recovery mode from a neck injury that he sustained this past Sunday against the Chiefs in which he was carted off the field and required further evaluation at a Charlotte area hospital. Coach Dave Canales said Wednesday that he doesn't expect Sanders to be available for Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers, per Gantt, but the tight end may get back on the practice field before week's end. Friday's injury report will reveal as much and also may include a ruling on his Week 13 status.

NOVEMBER 28, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

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