As fullback Mike Tolbert ran toward a golf cart that would zip him away from the rain-soaked Carolina Panthers' practice field Wednesday morning, Brandon Wegher walked off with two set of pads. One was Tolbert's. Neither was Wegher's. Yup, he's still a rookie.

With one week left in his first NFL regular season, the star running back of "Undrafted" and of the Panthers' preseason hasn't had a chance to put on pads during a game. That could change Sunday.

Fozzy Whittaker is already ruled out with a high-ankle sprain, so if Jonathan Stewart isn't ready to face the Bucs, Wegher will be active for the first time.

"It's my best opportunity yet," he said excitedly while walking through the rain.

After Stewart sprained his foot in Week 14 against Atlanta, the Panthers had hoped to give him a full month off before unleashing him in the playoffs. Whittaker's injury threw a wrench in those plans.

Because of Wednesday morning's rain, Stewart wasn't at practice, but coach Ron Rivera is hopeful Stewart will play Sunday. Yet the Panthers often skew toward the safer route when it comes to injured veterans. The twist here is if they do go that way with Stewart, it'll leave Tolbert, Artis-Payne and Wegher as their only active backs.

The two rookies have intrigued many fans who want to see more, but a regular-season game is much different than preseason mop-up time. And running back isn't just about carrying the ball. Using guys with little or no experience as Cam Newton's pass protectors just two weeks before the playoffs is a risky proposition. But so is putting Stewart out there if his foot's not fully healed.

"There's a little more emphasis this week that I may be playing, but you prepare the same way," Wegher said. "I'm going to be in my playbook. I'm going to be practicing hard. I'm just going to be the same guy."

And if he does get the call, he'll be the guy who went from a life without football to one with Sunday pads on.

"It'll be my first NFL regular-season game, so obviously I'll be ready to go," Wegher said. "I've been ready since Week 1. I've been behind Tolbert, Stewart, learning from guys who made the Pro Bowl."

"I just want to do my teammates proud. We've got a next man up mentality, and I'm going to take that to the fullest."