Carolina Panthers News

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.

Former New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Metchie will reunite with quarterback Bryce Young, with whom he played college ball at Alabama. The 25-year-old was originally a second-round pick (44th overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2022 NFL draft. Metchie had an unfortunate setback with a cancer diagnosis and missed the entire 2022 season, but he has slowly bounced back and posted a career-high 274 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions in 16 games (seven starts) with the Jets and Philadelphia Eagles last year. Metchie will now head to the NFC South, where he'll serve in a depth role behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. His previous connection with Young should help, but barring an injury ahead of him on Carolina's WR depth chart, it's hard to imagine Metchie having much weekly fantasy football appeal in 2026.

The Carolina Panthers re-signed tight end James Mitchell to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, a league source told Joseph Person of The Athletic. Mitchell was a restricted free agent. Mitchell will return to Carolina for a second season in 2026 after catching all three of his targets for 28 yards in just five games played a year ago. The 26-year-old was drafted in the fifth round (177th overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2022 out of Virginia Tech. In his first three years in the league in Detroit, Mitchell had 13 receptions on 13 targets for 141 yards and one touchdown in 29 games played (one start). He is not anywhere close to fantasy relevance in Carolina and will serve in a depth role at TE once again behind the likes of Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans.

The Carolina Panthers re-signed wide receiver David Moore to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. Moore only played in four games for the Panthers in 2025 in his second year with the team, catching his only target for five yards. The 31-year-old former seventh-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 out of East Central totaled 32 receptions on a career-high 57 targets for 351 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games played in his first year in Carolina in 2024. Moore will return to provide depth for Carolina's wide receiver room, but he can pretty much be ignored in all fantasy formats going into his ninth NFL season. Moore has never gone over 35 receptions, 445 receiving yards, or six touchdowns in a single year in his NFL career.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was one of 2024's most successful fantasy breakouts, finishing his fourth professional season as the RB15, but 2025 brought hardships in the form of injuries and a frustrating timeshare with Rico Dowdle. With Dowdle now agreeing to a two-year pact with the Steelers in the opening hours of the NFL's legal tampering window, Hubbard again finds himself with a chance to claim the top spot on the depth chart. After a day in which the Panthers committed to spending big on the defensive side of the ball, the running backs' room is left with Hubbard, the oft-injured Jonathon Brooks, and 2025 fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne. If the team believes in the receiving prowess of Brooks and Etienne, this very well could be the trio they enter the 2026 season with, perhaps with the addition of a late-round depth piece from a rookie class not necessarily touted for the strength of its running back group.

Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd has agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, who also agreed to terms on a four-year deal with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, continue to reshape their defense by bringing in the 27-year-old off-ball linebacker who is coming off one of the most impactful seasons of his four-year career. A Pro-Bowler and Second-Team All-Pro in 2025, the former Jaguar finished the year with a career-high 10 quarterback hits and five interceptions, including one that he returned 99 yards for his first career touchdown. Lloyd is now one of the ten-highest-paid players at the position and will be the focal point of a Panthers defense on which the team committed to spending big on the first day of legal tampering.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing former Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle to an undisclosed deal on Monday, multiple sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Dowdle was never expected to return to Carolina in his search for an RB1 role after back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old carried the Panthers' backfield last year when Chuba Hubbard missed time due to injury, and he finished with 1,076 rushing yards and a career-high six rushing scores on 236 carries over 17 regular-season games (11 starts). Dowdle's production trailed off late last year, though, as Hubbard was kept in the fold out of the backfield. In Pittsburgh, he may have a similar problem. Pass-catching back Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Bucs, but Jaylen Watson remains and could be a serious threat to Dowdle's fantasy upside as he heads into his sixth NFL season. Dowdle finished 2025 as the RB16 in half-PPR scoring.

Carolina Panthers impending free-agent power back Rico Dowdle "has been linked" to the Washington Commanders by some people around the NFL, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Dowdle should do quite well for himself on the open market this offseason after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Panthers. In 17 regular-season games last year with Carolina, the 27-year-old South Carolina product had a career-high 236 rushing attempts for 1,076 yards (4.6 yards per carry), and six rushing touchdowns, adding 39 receptions for a career-best 297 yards and another score on 50 targets. Dowdle would become Washington's favorite for RB1 duties next season if they were to sign him, giving them a more experienced and established lead back over Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The Panthers are probably unlikely to re-sign Dowdle since he wants to pursue a lead-back role, which he won't get in Carolina alongside Chuba Hubbard.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan finished as the WR15 in Half-PPR formats on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025. With offensive coordinator Brad Idzik returning for his third season and set to take over play-calling duties from head coach Dave Canales, the stability is in place for him to take the next step in year two. While quarterback Bryce Young has yet to top 3,100 yards in his three-year career, McMillan was on the receiving end of nearly a third of the Panthers' 2025 passing offense, on the strength of a 26.3% target share. Following a surprise playoff appearance, Carolina holds the 19th pick in the NFL Draft, which could put them out of range to add another difference-making receiver in 2026. While the team did place the exclusive rights free agent tender on Jalen Coker, McMillan should again clear the top of the depth chart, putting him in line for his first potential WR1 finish.