According to team sources, cornerback Josh Norman and defensive end Frank Alexander will both be inactive today when the Carolina Panthers face off against the Arizona Cardinals in the desert. Cornerback James Dockery will be active for the first time this season after undergoing surgery on his injured thumb during the preseason, and rookie defensive end Wes Horton will get his second game day jersey in a row.
The rest of Carolina's inactives are as follows: cornerback DJ Moore, strong safety Quintin Mikell, linebacker Ben Jacobs, tight end Brandon Williams and defensive tackle Dwan Edwards.
Norman is the odd man out in the secondary with the return of both Dockery and Josh Thomas, who missed the Panthers' last game against the Giants with a concussion. While many fans feel that Norman deserves to be on the field, it's understandable that Ron Rivera wants to see what Dockery can add to the secondary. However, Alexander missing his second straight game is questionable, especially when the most likely reason is because he's still in Rivera's dog house after his ejection from the Panthers' season opener against the Seahawks.
At any rate, here's hoping Wes Horton can contribute something positive on the field to make Alexander's benching irrelevant.