It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers are dealing with some troubling injury problems right now. This is the last thing head coach Dave Canales needed, and it's exposed their glaring lack of genuine depth in key areas of the field.
Slowly, the tide is turning. The Panthers might be struggling to put together a consistent run of performances, but they are getting some influential figures back just when all hope seemed lost.
And there was one notable development revealed by Canales that Panthers fans have been desperate to hear for some time.
Carolina Panthers will open Jalen Coker's 21-day window after long layoff
The coach confirmed that wide receiver Jalen Coker's 21-day return window will be opened next week. He's not featured this season after sustaining a quad injury late in the summer. His rehabilitation is going well, so Canales plans to ramp things up in the coming days before deciding on how much the former Holy Cross standout can handle.
"[Jalen] Coker is going great. His rehab is going excellently. He's hitting some top speeds. Now, it's about capacity, it's about conditioning, it's about playing football, and how many plays in a row can we count on him out there. So that's the part where we're going to be able to open up his window and test him to see what he can do next week."Dave Canales
#Panthers coach Dave Canales confirms that receiver Jalen Coker — who has spent the first four weeks of the year on IR — will have his practice window open up next week.
— Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05) October 3, 2025
Updates on him and JT Sanders here: pic.twitter.com/7p8yNIj7Ft
This is excellent news. Coker's presence has been sorely missed, especially considering he was expected to occupy the starting slot responsibilities after Adam Thielen got traded to the Minnesota Vikings. Taking things cautiously remains the correct approach, but it's clear that all signs are pointing up for the second-year pro.
If the Panthers are suitably satisfied with how Coker comes back to practice, there's a chance he could be involved in some capacity next weekend against the Dallas Cowboys. Asking him to be on the field for every snap is unrealistic, but putting him in the rotation seems feasible if he comes through the next step in his recovery process with flying colors.
The Panthers are a better team when Coker is on the field. He's a smooth route runner with assured hands who plays a lot faster than his 40-yard dash time would suggest. This is also a contract year for the wideout, so he'll be eager to hit the ground running and convince those in power that he's worthy of a bigger financial commitment.
Getting the all-clear isn't too far away. And Coker will be raring to go.