NFL teams
David Newton, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Panthers expected to activate DE Charles Johnson (hamstring)

NFL, Carolina Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers plan to activate defensive end Charles Johnson from injured reserve on Tuesday.

Coach Ron Rivera said Monday a final decision hasn't been made on the starting ends for Thursday's Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas.

Johnson, second on the team's all-time sack list, has started every game he's been healthy for since the start of the 2010 season. Jared Allen, acquired in a trade with Chicago when Johnson was injured, has started every game he's been healthy for since 2005.

The plan for Johnson's return when placed on IR was for him to start at left end and Allen at his natural position on the right side. That still is the most likely scenario, although Kony Ealy has a sack in each of the past four games.

"We'll have to take a look at it,'' said Rivera, whose team improved to 10-0 with Sunday's 44-16 victory over Washington. "We're talking about some guys that are playing some really good football at a very high level.

"We've got to figure out the best way to use our rotation of guys.''

Johnson has been on IR with a designation to return since severely straining his hamstring during a Week 3 win over New Orleans.

That's when the Panthers traded a draft pick to Chicago for Allen, the NFL's active sack leader with 136.

Rivera said Johnson has looked good the past couple of weeks.

"Hopefully, everything goes well and there should be no setback,'' he said.

Johnson will take the roster spot of guard Amini Silatolu, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury against Washington after originally being diagnosed with a knee contusion.

Silatolu started the past two games at left guard for the injured Andrew Norwell (hamstring). Rivera said Norwell is on target to return for Dallas.

"We'll get him right back in the mix of things,'' Rivera said.

Rivera is skeptical he will have starting cornerback Charles Tillman (knee) or wide receiver Philly Brown (shoulder) back on a short week. Both missed Sunday's win.

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