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CHARLOTTE (AP) — Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart had just participated in his first practice in nearly a month and his ninth in 49 workouts since the spring when fullback Brad Hoover playfully pounced on his teammate.

"I just told them we're happy to have you back," Hoover told Stewart while pointing at reporters, "and not eating cake on the sidelines."

Jokes were plentiful in the Panthers locker room Wednesday. Stewart, their No. 2 back, had returned from a left Achilles' tendon injury on the same day middle linebacker and defensive leader Jon Beason practiced for the first time since spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Aug. 22.

"It was an opportunity to prove everybody wrong, even the docs," Beason said. "I felt good about it."

Suddenly a dreary, winless preseason had given way to optimism four days before Carolina opens against Philadelphia. Minus safety Chris Harris, who was limited with a leg injury, the Panthers had all their key players practicing together for the first time in a month.

"They both looked really good," coach John Fox said of Beason and Stewart. "They were good to finally have back. That was the plan, and I thought they had a good day's work."

Beason, who was injured in the second exhibition game against Miami, said he spent countless hours rehabbing. It included about 10 hours a day hooked up to a new-age stim machine, which helped increase blood flow to the knee and strengthen muscles around it.

"It finds what muscle along the lines of the injury is not firing," Beason said. "Then it forces all the other muscles to work harder so that that muscle has less strain on it."

The Panthers need Beason. He led Carolina in tackles in each of the past two seasons and was voted to his first Pro Bowl last year.

Without Beason and fellow starting linebackers Thomas Davis and Na'il Diggs, who also missed time with injuries, the Panthers struggled to tackle and stop the run in the preseason.

"Those guys are your do-alls, they cover you up when you mess up in the run gaps and they also help the secondary with underneath stuff," defensive tackle Damione Lewis said. "That's the meat and potatoes on your defense, the linebacking corps."

Lewis said he expected Nick Hayden would start at the other tackle position vacated when Maake Kemoeatu was lost to a season-ending torn Achilles' tendon. The other options are Louis Leonard, acquired from Cleveland last week, and Ra'Shon Harris, claimed off waivers Sunday from Pittsburgh.

The offense has fewer concerns with the return of Stewart, who combined with DeAngelo Williams to rush for 2,351 yards last season, the most by teammates in the NFL since 1984.

Stewart said the pain in his Achilles' tendon was an offshoot from toe surgery he had before last season. He sat out all offseason workouts, then practiced eight times in training camp before being limited to a stationary bike since mid-August.

Teammates said he looked good in practice Wednesday.

"You've got to get the timing down. That's the main thing," Stewart said. "Today went well with that. I felt like I wasn't really out of the loop on a lot of things. I felt fine, running and everything."