Several Panthers key players missed practice Wednesday

The Carolina Panthers practiced Wednesday with quite a few key players sidelined because of injuries, including running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and fullback Brad Hoover. Some other injured players were limited in practice.


Williams missed the practice because of a sore knee. According to Coach John Fox, the running back tweaked it while playing in his Panthers jersey during Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, although he managed to rush for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Steward’s absence from Wednesday workouts has been a routine since he had a sore Achilles’ tendon. Hoover was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Defensive end Julius Peppers had a messed up right hand and took limited part in Wednesday’s practice, so did tight end Dante Rosario, who had knee injuries. Players returning to practice from injuries included backup fullback Tony Fiammetta and receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

Panthers LB Beason apologized for what he said about teammate DE Peppers

After the Carolina Panthers made their first win of the season last Sunday, linebacker Jon Beason apologized Thursday for what he said last week, when he called out Carolina teammate Julius Peppers for his lack of production.


Peppers had just one sack and 10 tackles in Carolina’s 0-3 start, but the four-time Pro Bowl choice is making an NFL-high $16.7 million salary this season. It is not strange for Beason, a defensive captain of the Panthers, to question Peppers’ effort. Peppers, who rarely spoke to reporters, responded with two sacks and a key play to force a safety in Panthers 20-17 victory over the Redskins. And Beason did not talk with Peppers as he vowed last week to tell him that “I need everything you’ve got.”

“After what happened, I realized I was wrong,” Beason said on radio station WFNZ. “There are certain things you shouldn’t say in public, certain things that should remain in-house. That’s where I made my mistake.”

No one would blame him for his mistake. The Carolina’s first-round pick in 2007 has been known for a fiery attitude. What is more, he has led the team in tackles in each of the past two seasons. It was just reasonable for him to say something on the performance of any player in Panthers jersey who should have given the best performance, but only if he had not commented publicly.