Carolina

Panthers

Sanders broke his ankle in Week 17 against the Seahawks, ending his season. It would seem that he’s on track to participate in training camp, and this report doesn’t really dwell on if he’ll be a possibility for the PUP list. In theory, Sanders could still emerge as the preferred pass-catching option at the position for the Panthers. In actuality, the 2024 fourth-rounder probably would have made more strides in either of the past two years if that was going to happen. He’s simply a TE3 hold in deep leagues at this point.

Legette, who faded into WR3/4 territory last season in the run-heavy Carolina offense, has appeared more interested in the details of being a professional wide receiver over the past few months, according to Young and head coach Dave Canales. “[Legette] is putting in the time in the playbook,” Canales told reporters this week. “He’s busting his butt on the field, working on little technical skills.” Legette had a meager 35 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games last season. He’ll remain a potential trade candidate this summer after the Panthers selected Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third round of the 2026 draft.

Coker entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He missed Weeks 1-6 with a quad injury last year, but closed the regular season strong, scoring touchdowns in three of the final five games. The Panthers tendered Coker as an exclusive rights free agent earlier this offseason. He was set to make just $1.075 million this season. Per Rapoport, Coker can make up to $41 million via incentives. He is on the WR4/FLEX radar.

McMillan has been in and out of practice during OTAs. He told reporters that he feels good now, though that was after missing today’s practice. McMillan played through a foot injury late in the 2025 season. It didn’t cost him any time, but it’s still slightly concerning that the issue hasn’t gone away entirely. As long as McMillan is able to suit up for the start of training camp, fantasy managers should still consider the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year as a high-end WR2.

Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoffs against the Rams, prompting the Panthers to sign Rasheed Walker to a one-year contract. Playing on his fifth-year option, Ekwonu will probably be an interesting free agent after the season. He’s graded out as a good run blocker in 2023 and 2024 per PFF’s rankings and could benefit from a switch to right tackle. With Taylor Moton and Walker in the fold, there’s no guarantee Ekwonu will start a game this year even when he is ready to play.

Wolfe made the obvious caveat that Brooks needed to be healthy for this to have any chance of happening. Brooks entered the league recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during his final season at Texas. He then tore the same ACL in just his third career game, causing him to miss all of the 2025 season. When the Panthers selected Brooks with the No. 46 pick in 2024, he certainly had the potential to take over the backfield by the end of his rookie season. It remains to be seen how much of a toll the knee injuries have taken on Brooks’ abilities, but the drumbeat surrounding his return to football is growing louder by the day. Brooks will likely be one of the hottest backup running backs in fantasy circles by the time training camp rolls around.

Kaye thinks Hubbard “will probably take the lion’s share of the touches out of the backfield early on.” Where his workload goes from there is likely dependent upon RB Jonathon Brooks’ (knee) health. The Panthers spent a second-round pick on Brooks in 2024. They would undoubtedly like to begin getting meaningful contributions from him this season. That said, Hubbard led the backfield in touches in 2023 and 2024, and has been a steady contributor for them. Hubbard may be a smarter pick in re-draft than he is in best ball, because managers can move on from him if need be. The backfield’s rotation in training camp could help clarify things.

If things go well for Brooks this summer, Kaye believes Brooks “will probably be used similarly to Rico Dowdle in the first two weeks of last season.” Dowdle played on 29.9 percent of the backfield snaps, totaling nine carries and four targets during that span. If Brooks “proves that he can stay durable and handle a consistent workload during the first month of the season,” the team could adjust the rotation after the Week 5 bye. Kaye opines that Brooks should not just be limited to passing downs and thinks it would “be fair to expect Brooks to even up his looks” with RB Chuba Hubbard eventually. Banking on a productive season from Brooks, 22, is not without risk, but his current ADP also looks like a decent buy-low opportunity.

We wouldn’t be surprised if Brooks’ reps were managed even once we get to training camp after his long layoff. Brooks probably figures to be brought along slowly this year when he does come back, making him more of a focus for Week 5 and thereafter in fantasy leagues.

Legette is facing stiff competition for work entering training camp after the Panthers drafted Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third round of this year’s draft. Legette lost the WR2 job to Jalen Coker midway through last season, and caught just 35 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games last season. Legette has a good combination of size and speed on the outside, but the fact that he was a late-career breakout in college suggested he could face an uphill battle to make an immediate impact at the next level. Legette is unlikely to have any redraft value in 2026, even if he can hold on to WR3 duties through training camp.