The Carolina Panthers surged their way into legitimate NFC South contention with a stunning overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons. However, it came with a few bumps and bruises along the way.
Veteran linebacker Christian Rozeboom suffered a hamstring injury that he felt was something more, leaving his status for Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers in severe doubt. There were also concerns around wide receiver Xavier Legette, who took a bump on his hip that left the No. 32 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft in discomfort.
Legette was in the midst of arguably his best game as an NFL pro. The South Carolina product has had his fair share of critics this season, but the Panthers took advantage of some one-on-one looks with great success. Hopefully, this problem doesn't halt his newly acquired momentum, and he can make a significant difference against the NFC's seventh seed with the national spotlight glaring.
Xavier Legette plans to play in Carolina Panthers' crunch prime time showdown
The second-year pro offered an encouraging outlook during his media availability. Legette acknowledged the pain, but he also declared his intent to take the field in Week 11. That's encouraging, but much will depend on how he responds in practice this week before the Panthers travel to California.
"I'm still banged up, but my plan is to play on Monday. So we'll just see how the week goes. Tell you the truth, I think [it happened] on the play where he knocked the ball out, but I ain't really sure, man. I think that's when it happened."Xavier Legette
Xavier Legette says his plan is to play vs the 49ers despite injuring his hip late vs ATL. pic.twitter.com/qLrKHVdB5d
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 18, 2025
It's all hands on deck for the Panthers in this one. A win could take them to the NFC South summit, depending on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fare against the Los Angeles Rams. Either way, head coach Dave Canales' squad will be aiming to make another massive statement on the road, and it's also worth remembering that the Niners are 2-2 at home this season.
Legette is growing in confidence. Last weekend's efforts were a sign of what he could bring to the Panthers if the matchups are schemed correctly. He might not ever become a legitimate No. 1 wideout, but being a productive sidekick to first-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan is entirely plausible.
The nagging injuries Legette has dealt with are proving troublesome, but he's starting to turn the corner. Fans will be keeping a close eye on his status this week, and the Panthers will proceed with extreme caution to give the pass-catcher a fighting chance of featuring on prime time.
Time will tell...