Nobody needs to tell Xavier Legette that his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers have underwhelmed. The wide receiver is coming in for severe criticism after another campaign that promised much but delivered very little. There are also rumors circulating that those in power will give up on him entirely if the tide doesn't turn in the coming months.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN was the latest to speculate whether the Panthers would be willing to trade Legette if a suitable offer arrived. The analyst saw Carolina give up on Jonathan Mingo when sufficient progress wasn't made. He believes the No. 32 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is headed down a similar path.
Head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have both preached patience with Legette. They've seen how hard he is working to change the narrative. This hasn't come together in a competitive setting as yet, but they are keeping faith for now.
Xavier Legette vows to keep plowing forward amid fierce criticism
Legette seemed to run out of answers when discussing his problems. He's trying not to get too emotional, but the South Carolina product also knows that significant enhancements in his production are the only way he's going to turn critics into believers.
"All I can do is what I do. From a production standpoint, I don't even know what to say about that part. The mistakes that I make, they're critical mistakes in a sense, but at the same time I've just got to play better on the production part. It ain't time for emotions right now. I'm still on the team, so I'm blessed to be in that position. ... I can only do as much as I can."Xavier Legette via ESPN
Pressure breaks pipes. Fans have seen Legette fluff his lines time and time again in crucial moments. These lapses in concentration can be given the benefit of the doubt as a rookie. But when the same complications arose in Year 2, that's completely unacceptable.
One only has to look at Legette's lack of involvement down the stretch and into the playoffs to see how trust in his capabilities is waning. The Panthers can say what they want publicly, but their actions tell a different story. Jalen Coker is the clear No. 2 wideout behind rookie sensation Tetairoa McMillan. If Carolina adds one or two more productive pass-catchers this offseason, that's only going to make things more difficult for the Mullins native.
This is no time to wallow in self-pity. Legette needs to focus solely on football during his time away from the team. This is the only way he's going to improve his chances of hitting the ground running when preparations for the 2026 campaign get underway.
Anything less, and the Panthers might cut the cord way ahead of time.