CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers signed defensive tackle Keith Cooper Jr. to the practice squad Monday, adding interior depth during a bye as the club prepares for Sunday against Philadelphia.
Cooper went undrafted after playing at Tulane and Houston. He spent last season on practice squads in Detroit and Cleveland, made Miami camp this year, and spent the first month of the season there before being released last week. Carolina released defensive end Anthony Goodlow to clear the practice-squad spot.
Coach Dave Canales also said the team will open 21-day practice windows this week for offensive tackle Taylor Moton, who began the season on the reserve/non-football illness list after blood clots were diagnosed before training camp, and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, who started the year on the reserve/physically unable to perform list after May neck surgery.
Once designated to return, Moton and Wharton each have 21 days to be activated or sit out the rest of 2026. The earliest Wharton could debut is Sunday against Philadelphia if he clears the practice ramp. Canales also said receiver Jalen Coker is on track to return from a one-game absence for that game.
The roster moves come after Carolina used the bye to reset division standing and injury depth. Interior defensive line help on the practice squad gives the staff another body to evaluate while veterans work back from illness and surgery lists.
Cooper becomes another name in a practice-squad rotation that has churned through the early season as Carolina balances active-roster injuries with the next preparation cycle.
