Thomas caught five of 10 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 40-20 loss to the Falcons.

EDGE Analysis

With Greg Olsen (concussion) inactive, Thomas' Week 14 output proved to be better than that of his preceding 12 combined, as he tied or surpassed his previous season totals in targets (nine), receptions (five) and yards (28) in a matchup against Atlanta's bottom-10 pass defense. Should Olsen be forced to miss a second consecutive outing Week 15 against Seattle, Thomas is a worthwhile consideration facing off against a Seahawks defense that enters Sunday Night Football as a bottom-five unit in terms of catches (77), receiving yards (802) and touchdowns (six) allowed to opposing tight ends this season.

Interim coach Perry Fewell said the Panthers will have a committee approach at tight end Sunday in Atlanta due to the likely absence of Greg Olsen (concussion), Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Fewell mentioned Thomas, Chris Manhertz and fullback Alex Armah as the options to cover for Olsen. Having said that, Thomas is the most likely of the trio to make an impact as a pass catcher. While he has just five receptions on nine targets in 12 games this season, he finished his rookie year in 2018 with a 36-333-2 line across 16 contests.

Thomas caught all four of his targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 29-21 loss to the Redskins.

EDGE Analysis

He entered Sunday with a mere one catch on the season, but he saw his role expand after fellow tight end Greg Olsen was concussed during the third quarter. As a result, Thomas put together his best performance of the campaign, and he figures to keep working with Carolina's starters if Olsen is unavailable in Week 14 versus the Falcons. With the veteran TE injured last year, Thomas started six games as a rookie, totaling 24 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown in those appearances.

Thomas caught one of two targets for four yards in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Saints.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas, who hauled in 36 passes as a rookie, needed until Week 12 to make his first grab in his second season. Of course, with Greg Olsen healthy, Thomas' involvement has been scaled back significantly, but it's still surprising how little impact he's made in 2019.

Thomas was not targeted during Sunday's 24-16 loss to Green Bay.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas ended 2018 with 25 catches in his final five games, but the Indiana product has suffered through an intense sophomore slump. With Greg Olsen, who was out for the final month of 2018, back in the fold, Thomas has just two targets this season -- neither of them coming in the red zone. He's topped five offensive snaps just once in his last four games. With that kind of usage, Thomas should not be on your radar Sunday, even against Atlanta's 25th-ranked pass defense.

Thomas was not targeted in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Texans.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas played 10 offensive snaps, which actually set a new season high for him. Still, such little playing time unsurprisingly prevented Thomas from making an impact, and he remains without a catch through four games. With Greg Olsen hardly ever leaving the field, Thomas has seen his role at tight end marginalized to begin his second season.

Thomas was not targeted in Thursday's loss to the Buccaneers.

EDGE Analysis

The 23-year-old played only two offensive snaps and has seen only six total snaps through two weeks. Chris Manhertz played 32 snaps as a blocking specialist, leaving little opportunity for Thomas while Greg Olson remains on the field.

Thomas didn't catch his lone target in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Rams.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas featured on merely four offensive plays, as veteran Greg Olsen commanded all but four snaps. Although the Panthers see Thomas as an importance piece behind the injury-prone Olsen, as long as the former Pro Bowler is healthy, Thomas may be hard pressed to nail down consistent meaningful involvement.

Thomas couldn't haul in his lone target in Thursday night's 10-3 preseason loss to the Patriots.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas overcame his minor rib injury suffered in Carolina's exhibition opener to feature for 31 snaps, which tied for the team lead on offense. Although he didn't make any catches in that extended action, Thomas still figures to be an important piece to the Panthers, especially given fellow tight end Greg Olsen's horrible recent track record of foot injuries.

Thomas (ribs) returned for Sunday's practice, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas had been dealing with a rib injury ever since the team's first preseason game. Now that he's healthy, it's likely that he'll suit up for Thursday's preseason game against New England.