The smoky haze that surrounded Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday is expected to stay through the Panthers' Thursday night game against the Saints.

Smoke from untamed wildfires in the North Carolina mountains has traveled east to Charlotte where there's a Code Red air quality warning. According to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Code Red means the air is unhealthy for everyone, especially "active people."

"It's not ideal weather for practicing, that's for sure," Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said.

"You smelled it. I don't think it made an impact on anything physically, though."

But should there be concern about guys who will be playing in the unhealthy air for at least three hours?

"Not unless the players have respiratory issues," WCNC meteorologist Brad Panovich said. "I look at this like playing in the heat and or at altitude. Breathing isn't going to be fun."

The wildfires, which show no signs of slowing down anytime soon, have already affected parts of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

"The fortunate part is it's not close to us. Unfortunately, it is close to somebody," said Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who was in San Diego in 2003 when fires forced the Chargers-Dolphins to move to Arizona.

"Hopefully it gets taken care of, and they can put those fires out so those folks can go back to the home where they've been evacuated."

(h/t @wbrad)