Some difficult decisions await the Carolina Panthers before their 53-man roster heading into the 2025 campaign is confirmed. And there is one position group gaining more attention than most.
The Panthers have a crowded wide receiver room. There are very few available spots, at least from the outside looking in. Everyone is getting a legitimate chance to stake a claim, but it's a precarious situation for many with training camp on the not-too-distant horizon.
Some wideouts came to the fore impressively over Carolina's mandatory minicamp. That's a sound platform to build, but the stakes are about to be raised. And head coach Dave Canales issued a warning to his receivers that could decide their respective fates one way or another.
Catching passes is not enough.
Dave Canales challenges Carolina Panthers receivers ahead of tough decisions
Canales acknowledged that it's going to be a tricky conundrum to solve. However, the man in charge hinted that those who find a way to make a lasting special-team contribution will stand a better chance. And he threw the gauntlet down to his players to make something happen with the spotlight glaring.
"I think it's going to be very difficult. I think we're going to have to take it through the preseason games and see who can help us. And special teams is going to be such a huge piece of that puzzle. How can these guys help us in the coverage units? Can they help us as a returner? Those things that added value. That's the part where we get to challenge our guys. Find a role, take this thing seriously. You're not just here to catch passes. We only get so many helmets on game day, so we need all of you. We need you to contribute in different ways."Dave Canales via Carolina Blitz
Dave Canales says filling the last wide receiver spots on the roster will be “very difficult” pic.twitter.com/mNXXUZiQzb
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) June 12, 2025
This is typically the case. The top guys on Carolina's depth chart will focus on the offense and nothing more. Those further down the wideout pecking order need to make an impact on the special teams unit. That's just the way it is.
Tetairoa McMillan, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette will make the team. Jimmy Horn Jr. comes with enormous upside and can also return kicks effectively, so he'll be on the squad. That leaves one (or maybe two) spots for the rest, depending on how many Carolina takes through.
Hunter Renfrow and David Moore, together with the undrafted free-agent duo of Jacolby George and Kobe Hudson, will fight it out for the remaining spots. Moore is the favorite as a core special-teams player, so the rest need to significantly outperform him to enter consideration.
Renfrow is the most interesting case. He's getting a chance to galvanize his NFL career and is thriving so far. But Canales trusts Moore, especially as a factor in the special teams discipline.
The challenge has been laid out in no uncertain terms. It's now up to the roster hopefuls to respond accordingly.