Xavier Legette is almost two years into his NFL journey with the Carolina Panthers. Those in power still don't know what they have in the wide receiver, and it seems as if patience is starting to wear thin.
Legette didn't cover himself in glory in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks. The No. 32 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft was penalized for an inexcusable offside penalty when the officials were clearly trying to tell him to get back. Either he didn't hear them, or he ignored the warning to the team's detriment, and some brief offensive momentum evaporated in the blink of an eye.
That clearly infuriated head coach Dave Canales, and Legette was seen much less after that. He logged just 55 percent of the team's offensive snaps in Carolina's regular-season home finale at Bank of America, down significantly from his overall tally of 71% in 2025. Jalen Coker got 72% of the snaps, with sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. securing 26%.
Carolina Panthers are starting to lose patience with Xavier Legette
This should be a wake-up call to Legette in no uncertain terms. His ability to create separation has regressed this season. His lapses in concentration and lack of on-field awareness remain ongoing frustrations that must be urgently eradicated from his game. Blocking is the only thing he does well consistently, which isn't why the Panthers traded into the first round to acquire the South Carolina product.
With the Panthers entering a do-or-die moment in Week 18 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there is no room for passengers. That is precisely what Legette is in danger of becoming if he cannot take a monumental surge forward in the coming months.
Canales called on Legette to clean up his act and ensure he doesn't hurt the team going forward. These pleas from coaches and media figures such as Cam Newton and Shannon Sharpe have so far fallen on deaf ears. Fans have stuck with the player, but some are already writing him off.
This cannot continue for much longer. Legette is held to a higher standard as a first-round selection with the physical upside to be special. It just hasn't come together yet, and one has to wonder how much longer the Panthers will wait on the off chance he develops into the player they expected pre-draft.
Trust in Legette to come through is diminishing; his reduced involvement against the Seahawks is proof positive of that. He needs to dig deep to change an ever-concerning narrative.
Otherwise, the Panthers have a massive problem on their hands.