Andre Roberts News

Roberts was activated from IR on Saturday, but he was considered questionable to play Week 17. HIs return will bolster the Panthers' depth at wide receiver, while he'll likely take back over return duties, a role which he held Week 1 against the Browns.

Roberts has been on IR since playing in the season opener, when he had two kick returns for 35 yards and one punt return for 10 yards during a 26-24 loss to the Browns. While his knee injury is behind him, his status is up in the air ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. According to Newton, though, there's an expectation that Roberts is available, which will be unveiled when Carolina posts its list of inactives.

Roberts acts almost strictly as the team's return man when healthy, but it'll be interesting to monitor if he returns to that capacity after missing the last 13 games. Raheem Blackshear has done well as an explosive kick return recently.

After missing Carolina's last 13 games recovering from a sprained PCL he sustained in Week 1 versus Cleveland, Roberts appears to have a chance to suit up for Week 16. The 34-year-old wideout played all 11 of his snaps on special teams serving as a punt and kick returner in the season opener, but it's not a given he'd reclaim those roles Saturday even if fully healthy.

Roberts dealt with a knee injury during the preseason and presumably aggravated the issue during the season opener. He'll be forced to miss at least four games after landing on injured reserve. In his absence, Shi Smith is expected to take over as the primary punt returner, while Chuba Hubbard and Laviska Shenault would be options on kickoffs.

Roberts has been dealing with his knee injury since the preseason, but he appears to have aggravated the issue Week 1. If the veteran wideout is forced to miss time, Shi Smith and Chuba Hubbard will stand step up in the return game.