Boone rushed four times for 18 yards and caught his only target for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 44-38 overtime win over the Falcons. The 29-year-old shared the Panthers' top backup running back duties with Raheem Blackshear, playing behind Miles Sanders, who returned from an ankle injury in the Week 18 win. However, Boone was outproduced by both Sanders and Blackshear, as they averaged 5.8 and 11.8 yards per touch, respectively, compared to Boone's 3.2. The veteran back finished his 2024 campaign with 51 rushing yards on 13 carries, appearing in just six games.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Mike Boone news
Team
Carolina Panthers
Birthdate
6/30/1995 (29)
Status
Active
HT/WT
5'10", 206 lbs
Birthplace
Macclenny, FL, USA
Position
RB
College
Cincinnati
Experience
7 seasons
Career History
Carolina Panthers
2023-Present
(2 seasons)
Houston Texans
2023-2023
(1 season)
Denver Broncos
2021-2023
(2 seasons)
Minnesota Vikings
2018-2021
(3 seasons)
Boone rushed four times for 18 yards and caught his only target for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 44-38 overtime win over the Falcons. The 29-year-old shared the Panthers' top backup running back duties with Raheem Blackshear, playing behind Miles Sanders, who returned from an ankle injury in the Week 18 win. However, Boone was outproduced by both Sanders and Blackshear, as they averaged 5.8 and 11.8 yards per touch, respectively, compared to Boone's 3.2. The veteran back finished his 2024 campaign with 51 rushing yards on 13 carries, appearing in just six games.
Boone rushed twice for 11 yards and failed to haul in his only target in Sunday's 48-14 loss to the Buccaneers. The Panthers signed Boone to their active roster Saturday after workhorse back Chuba Hubbard (calf) was placed on injured reserve. Boone played as Carolina's second-string running back in Sunday's loss, but that role yielded limited opportunities, as he saw just two touches. The veteran was also hindered by a poor game script, with the Panthers trailing by at least two scores from early in the second quarter through the remainder of the game. Boone is likely to play behind Raheem Blackshear as Carolina's top backup RB again in the Week 18 matchup against the Falcons, though meaningful production remains unlikely.
Boone is expected to have a role in the Panthers' offensive game plan for Sunday's contest against the Buccaneers, though Raheem Blackshear in on track to start at running back, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports. The Carolina backfield will be led by a new face for the first time all season, as three-down workhorse Chuba Hubbard (knee/calf) was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will miss the Panthers' final two games. Blackshear has been a fixture on the roster all season, but he's made his mark almost exclusively on special teams as a return man, as he didn't receive his first carries until the Week 16 win over the Cardinals. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Blackshear was an adept receiver in college and on the few times he's been called upon in that capacity during his three years in the professional ranks, but with an average of just 3.4 yards per carry on 40 totes during his career, the Panthers may prefer to use him in a change-of-pace/passing-down capacity Sunday, despite the fact that he's picking up the start. With that in mind, Kaye relays that he would be surprised if Blackshear ends up getting more touches than Boone, who has bounced between the Panthers' active roster and practice squad for much of the season. At 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, Boone offers a bit more size as a runner between the tackles and has been much more effective as a ball carrier than Blackshear, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 111 totes over parts of seven NFL seasons.
The Panthers signed Boone to their active roster Saturday ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports. With fellow running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) having landed on injured reserve, Boone will be needed for the Panthers' final two regular-season games. Per Gantt, Boone and Raheem Blackshear are in line handle backfield duties in Hubbard's absence, a context that makes Boone worth a roster dart for those scrambling for Week 17 running back help.
With Chuba Hubbard (calf/knee) on track to be placed on IR ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Boone is a candidate to share backfield work with Raheem Blackshear, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Apart from Hubbard, Blackshear is currently the only other running back on the Panthers' 53-man roster, but Boone and Emani Bailey are on the team's practice squad, and are thus candidates for elevation ahead of Week 17 action. Per Schefter, Blackshear and Boone appear likely to share backfield work versus Tampa Bay, a context that makes Boone a potential lineup dart for those in need of RB help down the stretch.
Boone reverted to Carolina's practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log. Boone served as the No. 3 running back behind Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear during the Panthers' 36-30 overtime win over the Cardinals due to Velus Jones (coach's decision) being a healthy inactive. Boone ended up playing 11 snaps (four on offense, seven on special teams) and turned his lone carry into one yard. Boone is eligible to be elevated to Carolina's active roster one more time during the regular season.
The Panthers elevated Boone from their practice squad Saturday. The veteran back has now been elevated in back-to-back weeks. Boone played three offensive snaps last Sunday against Dallas, rushing two times for 14 yards. With both Miles Sanders (ankle) and Jonathon Brooks (knee) on injured reserve, Boone slots in as Carolina's RB3 behind Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear.
Boone reverted to the Panthers' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log. Boone was the Panthers' No. 2 running back Sunday behind Chubba Hubbard due to injuries to Jonathon Brooks (knee), Miles Sanders (ankle) and Raheem Blackshear (chest). Even with Velus Jones being limited to four special teams snaps, Boone ended the game playing just three of the Panthers' 55 offensive snaps and turned his two carries into 14 yards. Boone could be elevated for Week 16 against the Cardinals if Blackshear is unable to progress enough in his recovery to play.
The Panthers have elevated Boone from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday ahead of Sunday's game against the Cowboys. The Panthers will be without Jonathon Brooks (knee), Miles Sanders (ankle) and Raheem Blackshear (chest), so Boone will operate as the No. 2 running back behind Chuba Hubbard on Sunday. Boone has four carries for seven yards across two games this season.