The Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver room has gotten crowded fast, and Xavier Legette is suddenly a name to watch if the season starts slowly.
Bleacher Report listed the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders as potential trade suitors for Legette, who is coming off a disappointing second season by his standards. He finished last year with 35 catches for 363 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Carolina has kept adding to the position group, too. Since taking Legette with the final pick of the first round in 2024, the Panthers have drafted a receiver in back-to-back years, selecting Tetairoa McMillan in 2025 and Chris Brazzell in this year’s draft.
That puts real pressure on Legette heading into 2026. The sense around the league is that if he gets out of the gate slowly this season, Carolina could move him.
The Panthers have also pushed Legette to trim down, and he showed up lighter this year. He went through organized team activities and minicamp at 221 pounds after playing last season at 228-230.
Legette’s career numbers in Carolina now sit at 84 catches, 860 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. For the Panthers to get back to the playoffs, his connection with Bryce Young has to take another step.
“Me and Bryce, we ain’t never had a problem. But there’s always room to grow,” Legette said back in June. "Hopefully, we can play with each other for a long time.”
Young, meanwhile, is heading into a pivotal season of his own. He is set to make $12.1 million this year in the fourth season of his rookie contract, and his fifth-year option is worth a guaranteed $25.9 million.
The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft needs another strong year to put himself in line for an extension. Last season, he threw for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 216 rushing yards and two rushing scores. He also led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
In a Carolina uniform, Young has totaled 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
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Panthers Pass Rush Takes An Early Hit Before Week 1
The Panthers are already having to adjust their edge-rush plans before the 2026 season even begins. Head coach Dave Canales said starting outside linebacker Pat Jones II will miss the opener against the Bears because of a back injury, a setback that lands less than ideal for a defense trying to get its rotation settled early.
Jones issue is being described as an aggravation on the opposite side of his back from the injury he dealt with in 2025, which only adds to the uncertainty around how quickly he can get back. In the meantime, Carolina will lean more heavily on Princely Umanmielen, Trevis Gipson and Thomas Incoom, all of whom are in line for larger snaps as the Panthers try to piece together pressure off the edge without one of their expected starters. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kuechly Just Gave Panthers Fans A New Reason To Watch
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The early reaction was strong enough to make this more than a one-off curiosity for Carolina followers who still know Kuechly best as the centerpiece of those defenses. Viewers and analysts praised the way he sounded in his first game, and Netflix has him slated to call three more NFL games this season, giving Panthers fans another reason to tune in and see how his second career keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Rookie Tackle Is About To Face A Brutal Early Test
The Panthers got real mileage out of their 2025 rookie class, and now the spotlight is shifting to the next wave. Right tackle Monroe Freeling has already been singled out on a preseason All-Rookie team, and with injuries thinning the offensive line, he is expected to be in the starting lineup sooner rather than later. For a team that watched Tetairoa McMillan emerge as the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, there is plenty of reason to believe Carolinas young talent can matter quickly.
Freelings first big chance comes with a difficult assignment waiting on the other side. Montez Sweat is the kind of edge rusher who can make a rookie tackle earn every snap, especially when the protection around him is still getting sorted out. The Panthers do not need perfection from Freeling right away, but they do need him to hold up in a test that will say a lot about how ready he is for the NFL pace. [Read more 🡒]