Panthers DE Charles Johnson (hamstring) out vs. Buccaneers

Charles Johnson will not play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a hamstring injury.

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera announced Monday that starting defensive end Charles Johnson will not play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Johnson sustained a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Sunday's 27–22 victory over the New Orleans Saints that will keep him out of the Week 4 matchup. 

The 29-year-old will be reevaluated after the Panthers' game against the Buccaneers and the team's off-week in Week 5.

“We'll see how it is after this week is over and how he is during the bye week with treatments and when he starts working out,” Rivera said in his Monday press conference. “We'll see how long it will be, but he'll most certainly be out this week for sure. Hopefully he'll get an opportunity to have it calm down a lot and get his strength back, and we'll see how he is out of the bye week.”

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In three games this season, Johnson has five combined tackles and one sack.

The Panthers are 3–0 for the first time since the 2003–04 season, when the team lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

- Christopher Chavez