The Carolina Panthers won’t bring back Ben McAdoo as their offensive coordinator in 2023, FOX Charlotte and WSOC-TV in Charlotte reported on Thursday.

The Panthers hired Frank Reich as their new head coach last month, and it was expected that the offensive-minded coach, a former quarterback, would prefer to install his own staff.

McAdoo, 45, spent just one season as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator. It was a lost year for the Panthers as the team cycled through three quarterbacks, each of whom — Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker — started at least five games. Carolina also traded franchise running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers early in the season.

McAdoo’s offense ranked just 29th in the NFL in total yardage (306.2 per game) but 20th in scoring (20.4 points per game).

McAdoo spent two seasons as the New York Giants’ head coach in 2016-17, compiling a 13-15 regular-season record, after serving as their offensive coordinator the two years before that.

–Field Level Media

The Kansas City Chiefs had good news and bad news Thursday on the injury front ahead of the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who was a limited practice participant on Wednesday due to ankle and hamstring ailment, returned to full activity on Thursday.

“He was spirited (Wednesday) and running around like crazy,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs added cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the injury report, noting that he was limited in practice because of a knee issue.

Sneed is still enjoying Super Bowl week, though. The third-year player was part of the Chiefs team that lost the Super Bowl to end the 2021 season.

“My first one was COVID year, so I didn’t get to experience what I’m experiencing now,” Sneed said, according to Fox4KC.com. “And I think it’s very wonderful and motivating for me.”

Six other Kansas City players were listed on the injury report with minor ailments, but all of them were full participants in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. That list includes Patrick Mahomes, who has been hobbled by a right ankle injury.

The Eagles listed 13 players as limited practice participants on Thursday after all but three worked out fully on Wednesday.

The Chiefs players are eager for Sunday to arrive.

Kansas City All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones said, according to Fox4KC.com, “If it was up to me, we would have (already) played the game.”

Rookie safety Bryan Cook added, according to Fox4KC.com, “If I ain’t ready now, when will I ever be? I’m here for a reason, God put me here for a reason, and it’s all in God’s hands.”

–Field Level Media

While making the Super Bowl radio row rounds, wide receiver Adam Thielen said he wants to stick with the Minnesota Vikings for the rest of his career but there are financial particulars that need to be sorted through first.

“It’s a little interesting,” Thielen said Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “We’re working through some stuff because I’ve got a big cap hit … My contract fully guarantees on, I think, March 16.”

The Vikings previously restructured Thielen’s contract to gain some cap relief in 2022, but in return, that bloated his 2023 cap hit to $19.97 million.

The veteran receiver, a Minnesota native who began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent signing with the Vikings, is due to see his $11.8 million salary become fully guaranteed, which is why the team is more than likely working on another restructure.

“I want to retire a Viking,” Thielen said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Will that happen? I don’t know. This is also a business. And I also want my opportunity to show that I can play at a high level.”

Thielen, 32, caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns last season as a complementary possession receiver to star wideout Justin Jefferson. He is a two-time Pro Bowler who has seen 90 or more targets in six seasons and has career totals of 534 catches, 6,682 receiving yards and 55 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin appeared at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night, taking the Symphony Hall stage in Phoenix to a standing ovation before speaking to the crowd.

“Every day, I am amazed that my experiences could encourage others across the country, and even across the world,” said Hamlin, who is making significant progress after suffering cardiac arrest in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

“My vision was about playing in the NFL, and being the best player I could be,” Hamlin continued, with the Bills medical staff who resuscitated him on the field standing behind him on stage. “But God’s plan was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world. My entire life I felt like God was using me to give others hope. And now with a new set of circumstances, I can only say he is doing what he’s always done.

“I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones. But it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose.”

Hamlin’s appearance came after NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer said Wednesday that he believes Hamlin will eventually return to the field.

“I don’t want to get into HIPAA issues, but I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” Mayer said on Sirius XM Doctor Radio show “Heart to Heart.”

Hamlin, who turns 25 next month, was awarded the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award on Wednesday for his work off the field. He was in good spirits during a recent Super Bowl Week appearance.

In the game against the Bengals, Hamlin attempted a routine tackle on receiver Tee Higgins and collapsed after trying to stand up. He received medical care on the field and was brought to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

As the NFL community rallied around him, Hamlin was later transferred to a medical center in Buffalo and was released Jan. 11. He made his first public appearance during the Bills’ AFC divisional round matchup against the Bengals.

Hamlin teamed with the American Heart Association to raise awareness for CPR training and education and expressed his gratitude for all the support on a social media post.

“What happened to me on Monday Night Football was a direct example of God using me as a vessel to share my passion and my love directly from my heart with the entire world,” Hamlin said in the message.

A sixth-round pick of the Bills in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Pitt, Hamlin became a full-time starter in 2022. In 29 career games, Hamlin has 93 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble.

–Field Level Media

Brandon Graham has already strip-sacked the greatest quarterback of all time in a Super Bowl. What to do for an encore?

Call 27-year-old Patrick Mahomes the GOAT, too, and try to make it a double.

The veteran defensive end helped the Philadelphia Eagles lock up their first Super Bowl victory five years ago with a strip sack of Tom Brady late in the 41-33 win over the New England Patriots. This Sunday, against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, Graham and the NFL’s top defense is tasked with figuring out the next generation’s exemplar quarterback, Mahomes.

“Man, getting a strip sack on him too, that’d be nice,” Graham told reporters Thursday. “But we’re going to have some fun, man. He’s definitely the GOAT because he’s already won one and you can see he’s been here a lot of times already. And he’s young.”

Head coach Nick Sirianni wasn’t keen on spelling out how his team’s defense is strategizing for Mahomes, whether it will feature an increase in blitzing or focus on keeping the ball out of his hands.

It was pointed out to Sirianni at Thursday’s press conference that in Mahomes’ three career playoff losses, his Chiefs have lost the turnover battle twice and had less time of possession than their opponent in all three defeats.

Sirianni said when he was the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator and faced Mahomes’ Chiefs in 2019, it became “a little bit of a keep-away game.” That day, the Colts ran the ball 45 times, had possession for 37:15 and handed Kansas City its first loss of the young season, 19-13.

“So we have that in our pocket. We also think it’s important to score points. Obviously I won’t give too much of the game plan away of what we’re trying to do. But we also understand how dangerous Patrick Mahomes is and how good of a football player he is.

“Sometimes when you do play a keep-away battle, per se, you still gotta be good and efficient on third down. You still gotta be good and efficient to extend drives.”

Sirianni’s Eagles have been able to run the ball at will, led by dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and a deep backfield that features Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon put the keys to the matchup simply.

“Not have the ball thrown over our heads and take it away,” he told the Eagles’ team website.

Gannon touted his unit’s adaptability as a foil to the Chiefs’ creativity on offense.

“Every game you turn on, (Reid is) doing something new. We’ve got to be prepared for all of that,” Gannon said. “One of our staples is adaptability. We know that we’re going to have to adapt in game and we’ve got to be ready to make adjustments in game, in real time, and ultimately execute the plan and those adjustments to have a chance.”

But the ultimate strength of the Eagles’ defense is its pass rush, which finished with 70 sacks in the regular season, the third-highest total in NFL history.

“I don’t think you go into this game thinking you are going to get clear paths to the quarterback,” said Haason Reddick, who had 16 sacks in the regular season and 3.5 in the Eagles’ first two playoff games. “They’re going to have something built-in to account for what we do, so it comes down to winning one-on-one battles, or whatever it’s going to be, in this game. You also know that Mahomes isn’t a guy who is going to go down easily. He can buy time with his legs. He can move, even with that ankle (Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain against Jacksonville in the AFC Divisional round).

“It’s a challenge and, as you know, I love challenges.”

–Field Level Media