The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of a youth movement that fans have embraced fully. It's not perfect just yet; far from it. But the strategy to throw young players into the fire with significant responsibilities is only going to serve the franchise well in the long run.
That finally provides hope for the future. Unfortunately, that hasn't been good news for everybody.
Fans were clamoring for the Panthers to get sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. more involved. The dynamic wide receiver was gradually brought along by the coaching staff, developing in the scenes and watching the first few games of the campaign on the sidelines as a healthy scratch. But with the offense in desperate need of a spark, head coach Dave Canales is starting to feature the former Colorado standout more prominently within his schematic concepts.
Carolina Panthers are gradually phasing out Hunter Renfrow from offensive plans
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that has come at the expense of Hunter Renfrow. The Pro Bowl wideout was a feel-good story this summer, returning after a year-long absence due to a serious illness. He didn't make the 53-man roster initially, but the Clemson product was brought back after Carolina traded Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings and Jalen Coker went to injured reserve.
Renfrow was in the lineup to start the season. He was tasked with slot duties, but the sharp route-running and razor-sharp hand-eye coordination that once took the league by storm regressed considerably. It was all very pedestrian, and Horn has given the Panthers much more in a limited sample size.
Nothing stays the same in the NFL for long. Renfrow is being phased out, and it's unlikely he'll ever get back involved without an injury. He was close to the end of the road before, but it does seem as if the pass-catcher is on the outside looking in right now.
The Panthers have Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Coker, Horn, and Brycen Tremayne as their preferred receiver group on game days. Renfrow is the most experienced by a considerable margin, but that's not the way Carolina is moving forward.
Renfrow didn't seem interested in playing for anyone but the Panthers this offseason, which makes it unlikely he'll be traded before the 2025 deadline. But the chances of the receiver getting another deal in Carolina appear remote, so we could be seeing the final year of his professional career when it's all said and done.
The veteran deserves endless credit for persevering through adversity to secure another NFL opportunity, even if the end goal hasn't quite gone according to plan.