Carolina Panthers News

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) missed the entirety of the 2025 season after tearing his ACL for the second time on the ninth carry of his NFL career. Brooks went down in Week 14 of his 2024 rookie season after missing ten games during a lengthy recovery from his first ACL tear, sustained at the end of his final collegiate season at Texas. With the injuries stacking up and so much passing time between meaningful snaps, it can be easy to forget that the 2024 second-round pick was seeing an incremental increase in usage leading up to the injury, even though Chuba Hubbard had the fourth most rushing yards in the league to that point. With Rico Dowdle departing in free agency after only one season in Carolina, Brooks will return to a running back room strikingly similar to the one in which he last played. Hubbard will be 27 years old at the start of the season, coming off a year in which injuries and inefficiency saw him turn the room over to Dowdle for much of the season, and his career yards per route run remains well under 1.0 yards. As RotoBaller's dynasty RB37, Brooks could be severely underpriced for a running back with both the skills and the path to take over the lead back role in a steadily improving offense.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan finished his first professional season as the fantasy WR15 on his way to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year, and his arrow is realistically still pointing up. While it took him six weeks to score his first NFL touchdown, with only two receiving touchdowns through Week 10, he eventually found a knack for it, scoring five times over his final seven games. McMillan led the Panthers with a 26.3% target share, with an even more impressive 32.4% share of all first-down targets. While he could benefit from an improvement to the quality of targets, it's unlikely that anyone currently on the roster poses a serious threat to eat into his workload in year two. The Panthers have spent their last two first-round picks on the wide receiver position, and even with general manager Dan Morgan recently insinuating a third straight swing would not be out of the question, it seems improbable with several more glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball. McMillan is RotoBaller's WR9 in dynasty rankings, and he could be one of the safest young assets to build around.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard opened the 2025 season as his team's RB1. However, an early-season calf injury forced Hubbard to the sidelines and opened the door for Rico Dowdle to emerge as Carolina's new feature back. While Hubbard worked his way back into a more even playing time split down the stretch of the season, he finished the year with just 734 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns on 164 touches. Luckily for Hubbard, Dowdle signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, reopening the door for Hubbard to get his starting role back. The 26-year-old Hubbard is just one year removed from his breakout 2024 campaign with Carolina, when he racked up 1,366 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns on 293 touches. Hubbard's dynasty value is firmly trending upwards heading into 2026.

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said he's optimistic about tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) and said that he looks good after he had ankle surgery, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Sanders has been running and cutting and looks good during his rehab. The 23-year-old had season-ending surgery in late December to fix a broken right fibula. Sanders has been recovering nicely, though, and he could be ready for organized team activities in May. In his second NFL season in 13 before his ankle injury, the former fourth-rounder out of the University of Texas in 2024 had 29 catches for 190 yards and only one touchdown on 34 targets over 13 games played (five starts). Sanders had 33 receptions (43 targets) for 342 yards and a score in 16 games in his rookie campaign in 2024. With Tommy Tremble set to be the team's top TE in 2026, Sanders can be ignored in most 12-team fantasy football leagues.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker is one of the biggest risers this offseason, offering WR3/flex appeal for deeper fantasy leagues in 2026. The 24-year-old missed the first six games of last season but quickly took on a substantial role upon his return. After a reduced role in his first game back, he played at least 66% of the offensive snaps in each of his remaining 10 contests. He supplanted Xavier Legette as the Panthers' No. 2 receiver behind Tetairoa McMillan. Taking on a bigger offensive workload, he averaged 3.7 catches, 46.9 yards, and 0.4 touchdowns per game from Week 11 through Week 18. Coker ranked as the WR26 in PPR leagues during that span, and he kept his momentum going into the playoffs, where he caught nine passes for 134 yards and one touchdown in the Panthers' Wild Card loss. He ranks 173rd overall in RotoBaller's early redraft rankings for 2026, making him a projected 12th-round pick in 12-team leagues. He also ranks as the WR61 in the latest dynasty rankings, but he has top-36 upside and is an intriguing low-cost target in dynasty trades this offseason.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young entered the league with all the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick, but through his first three seasons, consistency has evaded him. Carolina has exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, giving the team two more years of affordable control and Young an additional chance to prove he's worthy of a massive pay raise. After a lackluster rookie campaign, Young was able to overcome a second-season benching in 2024, and with an improved surrounding cast, namely Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, he put up his best statistical season to date in 2025, finishing year three with 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns on a 63.6% completion rate, all career highs. Unfortunately, that increased production, modest as it was, still came with fits and starts. Young topped 200 passing yards only once through the first 10 weeks before throwing for a career high 448 yards in a Week 11 win over the Falcons. He then went on to average 175 yards per game the rest of the way, including a brutal 54-yard outing in fantasy championship week. Carolina will likely look to add more offensive firepower through the upcoming NFL Draft, and Young did establish a late-season rapport with his big-bodied slot receiver Jalen Coker, so the pieces could be in place for yet another step forward. Unfortunately, until he's shown he can regularly string together week-winning performances, he profiles as little more than a QB3 in superflex dynasty leagues.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette has not lived up to his hype as a first-round pick, and he could continue to trend in the wrong direction for fantasy football in 2026. Legette has ranked outside the top 60 fantasy receivers in each of his two NFL seasons. Last year, he ranked as the WR71 with 35 catches, 363 yards, and three touchdowns. He missed two games, so even if you extrapolate his stats over a full 17-game season, it was still a putrid year for the 25-year-old. Outside of his first-round capital, Legette doesn't have much working in his favor. Most notably, he sits behind both Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker on the depth chart. It'll be tough for him to carve out consistent volume as the No. 3 receiver in a balanced offense like Carolina's. Outside of an injury to McMillan or Coker, we don't envision a path to meaningful fantasy production for Legette next year. He can be dropped in most dynasty formats or stashed on the bench in the deepest of leagues.

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders has struggled to emerge as a relevant fantasy option through his first two seasons in the NFL. He showed some upside near the end of his rookie campaign in 2024, but he has yet to finish higher than TE36 in PPR leagues. It's not for a lack of talent, as Sanders was an early fourth-round pick and has flashed impressive receiving skills. However, Carolina's offense doesn't seem to prioritize getting the ball to its tight ends. In fact, we haven't really seen the Panthers have a legitimate fantasy threat at tight end since Greg Olsen in 2016. It's unlikely that will change next season, but there is hope. Head coach Dave Canales recently turned offensive play-calling duties over to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, so perhaps that will lead to more tight end targets for Sanders. Still, we wouldn't bet on an immediate breakout for the 23-year-old. Rostering Sanders will require patience, and he's more of a hold than a buy or sell in dynasty leagues at the moment.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that he expects running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) to be ready for organized team activities and minicamp, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Brooks is a major question mark in dynasty/keeper leagues after tearing his right ACL for the second time last year. The 22-year-old got a late start to his rookie campaign in 2024 in Carolina after rehabbing his first torn ACL from college, and he only saw nine carries for 22 yards in three games before tearing his ACL again. He missed all of the 2025 campaign, but he's now ramping up to help the Panthers' backfield in 2026, potentially. And with Rico Dowdle leaving in free agency to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brooks could have a clear path to RB2 duties in Carolina this coming season behind Chuba Hubbard if he can stay on the field. If fully healthy, Brooks will compete with both Trevor Etienne and AJ Dillon for complementary work behind Hubbard in 2026.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had a very impressive rookie season, and he could be due for a Year 2 breakout in 2026. McMillan didn't find the end zone until Week 6 last year, but he still finished the season with seven touchdowns, as well as 70 catches and 1,014 receiving yards. These stats resulted in an impressive WR16 finish for the Arizona product in PPR leagues. He ultimately won Offensive Rookie of the Year and could be due for another major step forward with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik set to take over play-calling duties next year. McMillan fetched more than 25% of quarterback Bryce Young's targets in 2025, and that proportion should remain consistent as Young attempts to take a step forward of his own next year. Even after a dominant rookie season, McMillan might still be underpriced in dynasty fantasy football, making him an appealing trade target going forward. He can be a top-12 receiver in redraft leagues next year, and he possesses real top-five upside in dynasty formats.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was one of the breakout success stories of the 2024 season, recording 1,366 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on 293 touches across 15 games. However, Hubbard missed time early in the 2025 season with a calf injury and had his starting job usurped by fellow back Rico Dowdle. Hubbard finished the year with just 734 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 164 touches across 15 games played. Still, Hubbard may have a chance to reclaim the RB1 role in Carolina in 2026, as Dowdle recently departed the Panthers for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. Barring any further backfield additions, Hubbard's main competition in Carolina appears to be Jonathan Brooks and Trevor Etienne, who have combined for 29 career carries so far in their NFL careers. If Hubbard finds his way back to the usage he saw in 2024, he could easily re-emerge as a viable fantasy running back in 2026.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker missed six games last year, but when healthy, he has shown that he can produce fantasy-relevant results. The 24-year-old stepped up as the Panthers' No. 2 receiver behind Tetairoa McMillan, and in doing so, he seemed to pass Xavier Legette on the depth chart. Coker averaged 3.7 catches, 46.9 yards, and 0.4 touchdowns per game from Week 11 through Week 18, ranking as the WR26 in PPR leagues during that span. He continued his explosive outburst with nine catches, 134 yards, and one touchdown in the Panthers' lone playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Coker has defied the odds as a 2024 undrafted free agent and is blossoming into a low-end WR3/flex for fantasy football purposes. Coker's slow first half of the 2025 season obscured his final stat line, so managers might have an opportunity to buy low on him in dynasty fantasy football. Managers should send out trade offers to acquire the 24-year-old ahead of a potentially significant breakout campaign in 2026.

The Carolina Panthers have signed tight end and special teamer Feleipe Franks, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. Franks was a standout quarterback in college, totaling 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his final NCAA season at Arkansas in 2020. He also had 31 touchdowns and six interceptions as a sophomore at Florida in 2018. He ended up signing with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent and made one appearance before converting to tight end in 2022. He joined the Panthers in 2024, then returned to the Falcons in 2025. Now, he's back in Carolina for 2026. He has just one catch and two rushing attempts since becoming a tight end, so we expect the vast majority of his contributions to come on special teams next year. He has no fantasy relevance.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young posted mixed results in 2025, but his strong finish to the year and his career-high 23 passing touchdowns put him in the conversation as a potential buy-low target in dynasty leagues. Young took strides during his third pro season, posting a career-best finish as QB19 in fantasy football. The touchdown total increased to a new career-high mark, but so did the turnovers, as he threw 11 interceptions and coughed up four fumbles. Young was highly inconsistent, and it ws difficult for fantasy managers to know when to start him. He did start to turn a corner in the second half of the season, though, ranking as the QB11 from Week 11 through Week 18. We could see the former No. 1 pick take another step forward next year as the offense takes on a slightly new look. Head coach Dave Canales is passing off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, and Young will have more freedom to make changes at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, he should have his top two receivers (Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker) healthy for Week 1, giving him a pair of highly talented weapons heading into the season. There will still be growing pains, and we won't claim to expect a top-12 fantasy finish from Young. However, such an outcome wouldn't surprise us, either. As a result, he's an intriguing speculative buy-low candidate at his current price tag in dynasty leagues.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette totaled 35 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns on 64 targets in 15 regular-season games (12 starts) in his second year in the NFL in 2025. It was a disappointing line for the 25-year-old former 32nd overall pick in 2024 out of South Carolina after he had 49 catches (84 targets) for 497 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games in his rookie campaign in Carolina. We knew that things could be difficult for Legette in his sophomore year as soon as the Panthers drafted Tetairoa McMillan in the first round of last year's NFL draft. He finished as the third leading receiver in 2025 in Carolina behind McMillan and Jalen Coker, who is really emerging as one of quarterback Bryce Young's favorite targets in the passing game. Between McMillan and Coker, there doesn't figure to be a ton of targets left over for Legette going into the 2026 season this fall. Legette is a buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues, but he might need an injury to McMillan or Coker to become more consistently involved like he was in his rookie year.

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan suspects that tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) will be ready for the offseason program, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. Morgan said the third-year tight end is looking good in his rehab. Sanders suffered a broken right fibula in the Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and was placed on Injured Reserve shortly after that. The 22-year-old has made good progress in the offseason, though, so barring a setback, he should be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall. Sanders had only 29 catches on 34 targets for 190 yards and one touchdown in his second year in the league for the Panthers. Going into next season, even if fully healthy, Sanders projects as a TE2, at best, in fantasy football. He'll face competition for targets at the TE position with Tommy Tremble, who caught 27 of his 37 targets for 249 yards and two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025.

The Carolina Panthers are signing former Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles running back AJ Dillon to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Schultz also mentions that Dillon is in incredible shape. He will help make up for the loss of Rico Dowdle in free agency and will join Chuba Hubbard. The 27-year-old missed all of the 2024 season due to injury and only played in seven games in 2025 in his lone season with the Eagles, seeing just 12 rushing attempts for 60 yards and catching all three of his targets for 21 yards. Dillon isn't guaranteed a key backup role behind Hubbard in Carolina just because he's in good shape. The veteran RB will be battling for playing time this offseason with the likes of Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne. The former second-rounder in 2020 out of Boston College has 4.1 yards per carry in his five NFL seasons to go with 2,488 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 67 games (11 starts).

The Carolina Panthers re-signed starting safety Nick Scott on a one-year deal worth up to $3.25 million on Saturday, agents Jeremy Appledorf and Ed Wasielewski told Joe Person of The Athletic. Scott is one of the leaders of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's scheme, and he was second on the team last year with a career-high 111 tackles (64 solo). In addition to his 111 tackles, Scott had an interception, three pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in 17 regular-season starts in his second year with the team. The 30-year-old former seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 out of Penn State finished as the No. 33 defensive back in IDP fantasy scoring in his seventh year in the NFL. He will return to Carolina's secondary again next season and start opposite Tre'von Moehrig. Scott has 355 career tackles (216 solo), five interceptions, 14 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 108 games (48 starts).

The Carolina Panthers are signing former Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Walker was one of the top free agents still on the open market. The 26-year-old was drafted in the seventh round (249th overall) by Green Bay back in 2022 out of Penn State. He has started 48 of the 52 games he's appeared in over his four years in the NFL, and he'll now head to the NFC South to give the Panthers another experienced left-tackle option in case Ikem Ekwonu (knee) isn't ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall after he tore the patellar tendon in his knee in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason. Walker was the Packers' starting left tackle in 2025 and played in all 1,057 of their offensive snaps.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) could be an appealing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues as he works his way back from injury. Brooks missed the entire 2025 regular season due to a torn ACL that he suffered in 2024. Injuries have limited the once-promising running back to just three games through two NFL seasons. The former Texas product showed some promise when healthy, though. In Week 13 of the 2024 season, when the Panthers were still getting him up to speed, he handled six carries and also caught three passes for 23 receiving yards. Brooks should be healthy for training camp in 2026, and he could ascend into a significant role right away. Rico Dowdle departed the Panthers in free agency, leaving Brooks and Trevor Etienne in competition for a larger workload alongside Chuba Hubbard. While Hubbard has an early leg up on the competition, we would not be surprised to see both Brooks and Etienne get a fair crack at the job. Brooks could have low-end RB3/flex appeal if he locks up the backup running back role, and earning the starting job could put him in RB2 territory. 2025 showed that Chuba Hubbard isn't an every-down back, so Brooks would likely handle a sizable workload even if he split touches with Hubbard.