Panthers TE Ian Thomas has been sidelined with a hyperextended toe, according to The Athletic's Joseph Person. HC Matt Rhule expects Thomas back "pretty soon," but his availability for Week 1 is uncertain. Thomas is just a waiver-wire watch-list guy outside of deep and TE-premium fantasy leagues.

The Panthers and TE Ian Thomas have agreed to a 3-year, $16.5 million contract with $8 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's a surprisingly hefty deal for a guy with just 54 catches and 2 TDs over the past 3 seasons. Thomas had more snaps blocking than in a pass route last year and is unlikely to be a fantasy factor in 2022.

Panthers TE Ian Thomas (toe) put in a full practice on Wednesday. That obviously puts him on track to play in this weekend's opener against the Raiders. Thomas starts the season as a low-end TE2.

The Panthers selected Indiana TE Ian Thomas with the 1st pick of the 4th round. Thomas didn’t put up big numbers in a mediocre Hoosiers passing game, but he did average 15.0 yards per catch and score on 5 of his 25 grabs this past season. Thomas also tested as a 91st percentile athlete. We see a little Charles Clay in his game. In Carolina, Thomas will sit behind Greg Olsen in the short term. Olsen just signed a 2-year extension but is 33 years old now. Thomas has a shot to be his successor and is worth a look late in dynasty rookie drafts.