Interim head coach Steve Wilks said Friday he has a "lot of confidence" in Blackshear, who will handle an increased role Sunday against the Falcons with Chuba Hubbard (ankle) ruled out, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
The undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech initially earned a practice squad spot in Buffalo before signing with the Panthers on Sept. 21. A little more than a month later, Blackshear played his first offensive snaps in the NFL, taking two carries for a loss of five yards in a 21-3 win over the Buccaneers in Week 7. He also has eight kick returns for 224 yards this season, and his role this Sunday could include a considerable amount of the work on passing downs. D'Onta Foreman is the likely starter and lead runner, after taking 17 touches for 145 yards in the win over Tampa Bay. Wilks said Spencer Brown may be called up from the practice squad to provide the team with a third healthy back this weekend.