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

Limited in practice Sanders (groin/wrist) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Impact He's a new addition to the injury report this week, after catching each of his six targets for 61 yards in a 40-7 loss to the Commanders on Sunday. The outlook for Week 8 isn't encouraging even if Sanders shakes off the health concerns, as he'll be catching passes from QB Bryce Young in a road matchup with a tough Denver defense. There's also some chance fellow Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble is able to return from a back injury this week and give Sanders more competition for playing time.

OCTOBER 23 • ROTOWIRE

Looks good with added opportunity Sanders recorded six receptions on six targets for 61 yards in Sunday's 40-7 loss to the Commanders.

Impact Tommy Tremble (back) was forced to miss his second consecutive game, allowing Sanders to be one of the few bright spots in Carolina's blowout loss. Across the last two contests, Sanders has recorded 11 receptions for 110 yards on 13 targets. His potential usage once Tremble is healthy remains unclear, but Sanders has taken the opportunity to show he can be a productive pass catcher as a pro.

OCTOBER 21 • ROTOWIRE

Looks good with added opportunity Sanders recorded six receptions on six targets for 61 yards in Sunday's 40-7 loss to the Commanders.

Impact Tommy Tremble (back) was forced to miss his second consecutive game, allowing Sanders to be one of the few bright spots in Carolina's blowout loss. Across the last two contests, Sanders has recorded 11 receptions for 110 yards on 13 targets. His potential usage once Tremble is healthy remains unclear, but Sanders has taken the opportunity to show he can be a productive pass catcher as a pro.

OCTOBER 21 • ROTOWIRE

Sets new highs Sunday Sanders corralled five of seven targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Falcons.

Impact Sanders finished as Carolina's second-leading receiver behind Diontae Johnson (6-78-1) while setting new single-game highs in targets, receptions and yards. The 21-year-old Sanders more than doubled his season yardage total with Sunday's effort, which shows how little the rookie was involved in the passing game up until this point. Those in need of tight end help might look Sanders' way in the event he builds off of this performance against the Commanders next Sunday.

OCTOBER 14 • ROTOWIRE

Sets new highs Sunday Sanders corralled five of seven targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Falcons.

Impact Sanders finished as Carolina's second-leading receiver behind Diontae Johnson (6-78-1) while setting new single-game highs in targets, receptions and yards. The 21-year-old Sanders more than doubled his season yardage total with Sunday's effort, which shows how little the rookie was involved in the passing game up until this point. Those in need of tight end help might look Sanders' way in the event he builds off of this performance against the Commanders next Sunday.

OCTOBER 14 • ROTOWIRE

Sees five targets vs. Bears Sanders caught three of his five targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Bears.

Impact The Texas product tied Jonathan Mingo for the second-most targets on the Panthers during Sunday's loss. However, four of Sanders' five targets came after Tommy Tremble left in the second quarter with a concussion. With Ian Thomas (calf) expected to return from injury in the coming weeks, Sanders could see his snap share decrease. Carolina's tight end room remains relatively open, so if Sanders can impress during the Panthers' Week 6 matchup against the Falcons, he could have an opportunity to serve as the team's top TE.

OCTOBER 7 • ROTOWIRE

16 yards in Week 4 Sanders caught both of his targets for 16 yards and no touchdowns during Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Bengals.

Impact Tommy Tremble appeared to have reclaimed Carolina's No. 1 tight end spot after out-performing Sanders in Week 3. However, the rookie from Texas caught two passes to Tremble's none in Week 4, so it seems that Sanders was more involved in the team's offensive gameplan. Sanders remains too inconsistent to be a viable fantasy option at the moment, but he's likely the Panthers' best pass-catching TE, and his role could grow as he continues adjusting to the NFL level.

SEPTEMBER 29 • ROTOWIRE

No catches in Week 3 Sanders failed to catch his only target during Sunday's 36-22 win over the Raiders.

Impact With Tommy Tremble all the way back from his hamstring injury, Sanders has reverted to Carolina's No. 2 tight end spot. The rookie tight end played just 26 offensive snaps and was held without a catch for the first time in his young career. For the time being, it appears Sanders will struggle to be fantasy-relevant due to limited opportunities. However, he could earn increased playing time in the Panthers' relatively weak tight end room as the season continues.

SEPTEMBER 23 • ROTOWIRE

Struggles again in Week 2 Sanders caught both of his targets for eight yards during Sunday's 26-3 loss to the Chargers.

Impact Despite Sanders recording just eight receiving yards in Week 2, the rookie out-snapped Tommy Tremble (24 to 22) in his first week back from a hamstring injury. The Panthers may have been trying to ease Tremble back in, but it's promising that Sanders continued to see significant playing time Sunday. Regardless of how much the Texas product is on the field, he'll keep struggling to be fantasy-relevant unless Carolina's offense improves from its current average of scoring just 6.5 points per game across the first two weeks.

SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE

Struggles again in Week 2 Sanders caught both of his targets for eight yards during Sunday's 26-3 loss to the Chargers.

Impact Despite his limited volume, Sanders out-snapped Tommy Tremble (24 to 22) in the latter's first week back from a hamstring injury. The Panthers may have been trying to ease Tremble back in, but it's promising that Sanders continued to see significant playing time. Regardless of how much the rookie is on the field, he'll struggle to provide fantasy relevance unless Carolina's offense improves -- the unit has scored just 6.5 points per game across the first two weeks.

SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE

Quiet in debut Sanders caught his only target for four yards during Sunday's 47-10 loss to the Saints.

Impact The rookie tight end out of Texas saw increased opportunities with Ian Thomas (calf) and Tommy Tremble (hamstring) missing Sunday's contest. Sanders played 43 offensive snaps - 23 more than any other tight end for Carolina - but this still didn't lead to much production, as Sanders struggled along with the rest of the Panthers' offense. He caught a four-yard pass in the first quarter and was not targeted for the rest of Sunday's affair. Sanders was the Panthers' leading receiver at tight end in Week 1, but it appears that the team's offense as a whole will have to improve for Sanders to have fantasy value this season.

SEPTEMBER 9 • ROTOWIRE

Set for big role in debut Sanders could see increased opportunities Sunday against the Saints, as Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) have been ruled out.

Impact Sanders won't face competition for playing time from either of Carolina's banged-up veterans as the 2024 fourth-round draft pick makes his NFL debut Sunday. Along with Sanders, the Panthers have converted wide receiver Jordan Matthews and Messiah Swinson available at tight end.

SEPTEMBER 6 • ROTOWIRE

First receptions as pro Sanders recorded two receptions on two targets for 22 yards in Saturday's 15-12 preseason loss to the Jets.

Impact The Panthers didn't play any of their starters in the contest, so the fact that Sanders was on the field doesn't necessarily bode well for his position on the depth chart to begin the season. That doesn't come as a particular surprise as tight end is a demanding position to learn at the pro level, due to the combination of both blocking and receiving demands. In the short term, Sanders managed his first receptions as a pro, a good first step in his quest to move up the depth chart.

AUGUST 18 • ROTOWIRE