The Carolina Panthers are playing it safe Sunday with their most important run stuffer. Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who returned to practice this week, won't play in the home opener against the Texans.

Before Week 1, Lotulelei said he wouldn't play in a game until he was 100 percent. Then, this week, he said if he played, he wouldn't be 100 percent. The Panthers don't want to risk anything as he recovers from the stress reaction in his surgically repaired foot, plus Lotulelei's conditioning may have been challenged on a hot day in Charlotte.

Running back Cameron Artis-Payne is also a healthy scratch, leaving Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker and fullback Mike Tolbert as the Panthers' only active backs. Artis-Payne played just four snaps and had no carries in Week 1.

Receiver Kevin Norwood, who was inactive in the season-opening win at Jacksonville, will make his Panthers debut Sunday. On Friday, coach Ron Rivera said if Norwood played, he'd get to least 18 snaps.