Tag: Panthers

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) during pregame warmups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Panthers place RB Jonathon Brooks on PUP list, out for 2025

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Carolina Panthers placed running back Jonathon Brooks on the physically unable to perform list Thursday because of the torn ACL he sustained late last season.

Brooks’ move to the PUP list means he’s out for the entire 2025 season.

Carolina’s rushing attack last year was led by Chuba Hubbard.

Signed to a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension in November, Hubbard recorded career-high totals in rushing yards (1,195), rushing touchdowns (10) and catches (43) in 15 games (all starts) last season.

Brooks saw his rookie season come to an end after just three games and nine total carries following his right knee injury during the Panthers’ 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 8.

On a first-quarter run, Brooks planted his right foot in an attempt to cut to the outside and went down with a non-contact injury. He tried to limp off the field but had to be helped to the sideline.

A second-round draft pick out of Texas, Brooks still was recovering from ACL surgery on the same knee when the 2024 season began. His previous ACL injury occurred in the Longhorns’ victory over TCU in November 2023.

Brooks, 21, made his NFL debut on Nov. 24 against the Kansas City Chiefs and gained 7 yards on two carries. He gained 18 yards on six carries the following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he was injured on his lone carry in Philadelphia.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (7) during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Reports: Panthers releasing pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney

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The Carolina Panthers are releasing veteran pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

Clowney, the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, turned 32 in February and carries a $13.8 million cap hit in 2025.

The Panthers can save about $7.8 million by cutting the three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Clowney tallied 5.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 46 tackles in 14 starts in his only season with Carolina in 2024.

He has 58 sacks, 139 QB hits, 15 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries (three for touchdowns) and 409 tackles (108 for loss) in 140 games (127 starts) with the Houston Texans (2014-18), Seattle Seahawks (2019), Tennessee Titans (2020), Cleveland Browns (2021-22), Baltimore Ravens (2023) and Panthers.

Drafted first overall by the Texans in 2014, Clowney made three straight Pro Bowls from 2016-18. He signed a two-year, $20 million deal with Carolina in March 2024.

The Panthers picked Texas A&M edge rusher Nic Scourton in the second round and Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft last month.

–Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) runs after a catch against the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Panthers WR Adam Thielen uncertain of future beyond 2025

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen acknowledged Friday that 2025 could be his final season playing in the NFL.

Thielen turns 35 prior to the Panthers’ season opener.

“It could be, yeah,” Thielen said, when asked if he may be entering his final NFL season. “I told you guys at the end of the season, like every year, you look back and you say, ‘Hey, what left do I have to give to this game?’ I talked to my family, and they wanted me to keep playing. So it’ll be the same process.

“Not gonna think about that right now. I’m gonna focus on being the best football player I can possibly be, and you have to have that mindset in this league. And then once the season’s over — evaluate, see where we’re at, see where the team’s at, see where I’m at individually and as a family. But definitely, definitely winding down my career.”

Thielen missed seven games last season after sustaining a hamstring injury while laying out to reel in a 31-yard touchdown reception in the Panthers’ 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 22.

He finished with 48 catches on 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games (all starts) during his second season with the Panthers. He played with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-22.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection has 685 receptions for 8,311 yards and 64 touchdowns in 162 regular-season games (128 starts).

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Former Carolina Panthers greats Muhsin Muhammad salutes the crowd the crowd before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Report: Panthers reach deal with Muhsin ‘Moose’ Muhammad III

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The Carolina Panthers agreed to sign wide receiver Muhsin “Moose” Muhammad III as an undrafted free agent, NFL Network reported on Sunday.

If that name sounds familiar, well, it should.

Muhsin Muhammad, his father, ranks second in the franchise’s history in catches (696), receiving yards (9,255) and receiving touchdowns (50) while playing for the Panthers from 1996-2004. The two-time Pro Bowl selection also was the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recipient for 1999.

The younger Muhammad totaled 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns during four seasons with Texas A&M.

He joins a wide receiver room that includes Tetairoa McMillan, who was selected by Carolina with the eighth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona. The Panthers also picked Colorado receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. in the sixth round.

–Field Level Media

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive lineman Nic Scourton (DL65) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Grading the Panthers’ draft

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Carolina Panthers

Grade: B+

Best Pick: Edge Nic Scourton, No. 51 Overall

What We Liked: Getting two edge rushers (Scourton and Princely Umanmielen at No. 77) feels like a great maneuver to fill out the room. Especially adding Scourton to the mix, a crazy good power rusher whose hands will make waste to offensive lines across the southeast. The Panthers hit on all of their day three picks as well, especially Lathan Ransom and Cam Jackson, who can make an immediate impact at safety and nose tackle. The depth on the team just got a lot stronger.

Not Sure About: It feels like the Panthers already have a lot of tall wideouts who can’t really separate consistently. First-round pick Tetairoa McMillan does not add much to the room that quarterback Bryce Young doesn’t already have. Umanmielen doesn’t move me as an edge rusher, and while he isn’t a bad value in the third round, it doesn’t strengthen their bid for the NFC South. Running back might have been a higher priority.

–Dean Bruce, special to Field Level Media

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Panthers 2025 NFL draft needs, picks, best fits, history

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Panthers general manager Dan Morgan would do backflips for a shot at drafting Penn State edge Abdul Carter, but to hear him tell it this week, Carolina is out of the business of trading up for talent.

Morgan’s most pressing roster weakness is the pass rush, but with Derrick Brown returning from a season-ending injury and reinforcements added in free agency — Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III — Carolina can attack the outside linebacker and defensive end spots.

With Carter expected to be off the board in the top three, the Panthers can gear up for one of Georgia’s edge players or take a look at the best offensive playmakers available.

Depending on how the board falls in front of Morgan, he’s publicly declared the No. 8 pick is available for the right price.

Should Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty or one of the prospects the Panthers rate 1-5 on their board make it through the first seven picks without hearing their name called, Carolina can’t risk the missed opportunity of a blue-chip player.

–Team needs
Edge: Signing Pat Jones (Vikings) in free agency only slightly diminishes Carolina’s desperation at the position. Jadeveon Clowney, 32, has reached the stage in his career where he would be best in a rotation. Georgia’s Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker are priority prospects who’ve had visits with the Panthers. Williams is 20 pounds shy of Julius Peppers but the 20-year-old is still imposing at 6-5, 260 and only beginning to realize his immense potential.

Wide receiver: We aren’t connecting the dots on Morgan’s assertion the Panthers are good to go at wideout given Adam Thielen’s age (34) and injury history and Xavier Legette still has a lot to prove. From past coaching stints with the Seahawks and Buccaneers, Panthers head coach Dave Canales grasps the benefits of surrounding a quarterback with three or more talented pass catchers.

–Best prospect fits
OLB Mykel Williams, Georgia
OLB Jalon Walker, Georgia
TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
OLB James Pearce, Tennessee
OLB Mike Green, Marshall
OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
OLB Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
WR Matthew Golden, Texas
WR Tre Harris, Ole Miss

–2025 draft picks by round
Total picks:
By round (pick in round, overall pick)
1: 8, 8
2: 25, 57 (from Los Angeles Rams)
3: 10, 74
4: 9, 111
4: 12, 114 (from Dallas Cowboys)
5: 2, 140 (from NY Giants)
5: 8, 146
5: 25, 163 (from Baltimore Ravens)
7: 14, 230 (from Arizona Cardinals)

–History Lesson
–Carolina selected No. 8 in 2021 and drafted South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn. In 2017, the Panthers picked Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey eighth.

–Field Level Media

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales are dropping heavy hints about trading out of the No. 8 pick. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Panthers GM to peers: Call me about No. 8 pick

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Repeating his earlier stance on moving down, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan again invited any general manager shopping for a top-10 pick to call Carolina about the No. 8 overall selection in the first round.

With nine days to go before the 2025 NFL Draft begins, Morgan repeated his desire to trade the No. 8 pick to acquire additional assets.

“Exciting to continue building, adding talent to the roster. We’re definitely open to trading back and acquiring more picks,” Morgan said Tuesday. “I think we’re going to be open to all possibilities.”

In going through options in the first round, one option Morgan did not mention is moving up.

Typically trades for picks in the bottom half of the top 10 in the draft are made while a team is on the clock on draft day. Morgan said his phone isn’t ringing, but he’s not taking the chance rival decision-makers might make an offer to another team further down the pecking order.

As of Tuesday afternoon, all 32 teams held their original first-round picks.

“I don’t think yet,” Morgan said of any trade talks this week. “It’s still a little early for that, but maybe down the line I’ll expect it a little more. Right now, things are quiet.”

Morgan said the Panthers will make a pick in the first round. He wouldn’t go into how far he would be willing to trade back in a deal involving the eighth overall selection.

“Obviously we’ll count numbers,” Morgan said, noting needs at outside linebacker and interior defensive line. “That’s still an emphasis we want to address, just making our front seven as strong as it can be.”

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame guard Julian Roper II (1) shoots the ball as Western Carolina forward Colin Granger (32) defends during the Western Carolina-Notre Dame NCAA Men s basketball game on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana.

Panthers sign college basketball player to play TE

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Colin Granger doesn’t have any football experience, but the Carolina Panthers are taking a chance that the former Division I basketball player could play tight end in the NFL.

The Panthers announced the signing of the 6-foot-9, 235-pound Granger on Monday.

With this move, Carolina is trying to strike gold like the then-San Diego Chargers did when they signed Antonio Gates to play tight end in 2003. An undersized power forward at Kent State, Gates played football in high school but not in college.

Granger, a Georgia native, started his basketball career at Ohio University in 2020 and spent two seasons there. In 2022-23, he played at Western Carolina before moving on to Central Carolina for the past two seasons.

Gates will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, this summer after a 16-year NFL career, all with the Chargers.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) warms up before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Report: WR Hunter Renfrow eyes return, visits Raiders

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Former Las Vegas Raiders wideout Hunter Renfrow is eyeing a comeback and visiting his old team on Friday, NFL Network reported.

Renfrow, 29, was out of the NFL last season after being released by the Raiders on March 13, 2024.

He made the Pro Bowl with 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021 but played a diminished role the next two seasons with a combined 61 catches for 585 yards in 27 games.

Renfrow has 269 catches for 2,884 yards and 17 TDs in 73 games (23 starts) since the Raiders drafted him in the fifth round in 2019.

The South Carolina native visited the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) questions a call by the official during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Panthers, CB Jaycee Horn agree to 4-year, $100M extension

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Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn signed a four-year extension worth $100 million on Monday to become the highest-paid defensive back in league history.

Horn was entering the final year of his deal. The contract ties him to Carolina through the 2029 season and comes as other defensive backs line up for their market assessments in free agency.

General manager Dan Morgan confirmed the move on Monday, checking off one of his primary offseason goals in the process.

Horn said after the final game of the season he couldn’t “wait to come back” and get to work ahead of the 2025 season, which he will play on his scheduled fifth-year option as a first-rounder in the 2021 draft.

“Jaycee is obviously the focal point of the defense, somebody that we’re going to want here long-term, and, and we’re going to work on getting him a long-term deal,” Morgan said in January.

Horn was a Pro Bowl selection for the first time in 2024 and played 15 games. Injuries have impacted his availability since he played just three games as a rookie and 22 of a possible 51 games during his first three seasons in the NFL.

–Field Level Media