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Last year it was a toe injury. This year it's lingering pain in his Achilles' tendon.

Jonathan Stewart can't seem to get healthy enough to practice with the Carolina Panthers. The running back missed his third straight workout Thursday and has been held out of almost all contact drills when he has practiced.

This comes after Stewart missed every offseason workout for a second straight year. He was recovering from toe surgery in 2008.

"It's frustrating because I'm a hard worker and practice is part of that whole deal of getting better and getting a feel for the different things you see on defense," Stewart said. "But I'm trying to stay positive and do what I can while watching, the days I'm not practicing."

Coach John Fox insisted Stewart hasn't suffered a setback. He was at least practicing once a day before this week.

"If medically they say they think it's best for him to rest, then we rest," Fox said.

QB RACE: Matt Moore was discussing his competition with Josh McCown for the backup quarterback job Thursday when McCown appeared from around the corner.

"What do you think about Michael Vick?" a smiling McCown asked Moore.

ORANGE PANTHERS: Quick, which two schools are tied for having the most players on Carolina's training-camp roster with four apiece?

Georgia is one, but the other is hardly among the current powers: Syracuse. The Orange haven't had a winning season since 2001 and are 11-37 in the past four years.

"It's been really cool and good to have familiar faces as a rookie," said fullback Tony Fiammetta, Carolina's fourth-round pick.

Fiammetta is joined by former teammates Joe Fields, a safety who was on Carolina's practice squad last season, undrafted rookie safety Paul Chiara and linebacker Kelvin Smith, who was signed last week.

EXTRA POINTS: LB James Anderson (hamstring) couldn't finish practice. With Thomas Davis (knee) and Landon Johnson (groin) also out, Jeremy Leman worked with the first team. ... Veteran DT Damione Lewis and FB Brad Hoover were excused from practice.