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The Carolina Panthers have a few sleepers in their camp. They also have some veterans feeling uncomfortable because of rookies pushing them. But every team has to make cuts, and the Panthers have two players who are in danger of getting let go after the 2025 minicamp.
It looks like the Panthers will keep Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and David Moore at the receiver position. But that means it could get dicey on the chopping block between guys like Hunter Renfrow, Dan Chisena, and rookie seventh-round pick Jimmy Horn Jr., according to panthers.com.
“I think it's going to be very difficult,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. “I think that we're going to have to take it through the preseason games and see who can help us. And special teams is going to be such a huge piece of that puzzle. How can these guys help us in the coverage units? Can they help us as a returner? Those things add value.”
WR Hunter Renfrow trying for a comeback
The five-year veteran had a great season in 2021, catching 103 passes for 1,038 yards with nine touchdowns. But he tailed off in 2022 and 2023, totaling only 61 catches combined over those seasons, with only two scores.
And then he missed 2024 with an illness. However, Renfrow appears to have recovered from ulcerative colitis. Renfrow said the illness was tough, according to panthers.com.
“It kicked my butt pretty good,” Renfrow said. “Last year, I fluctuated in weight. I went down to 150 pounds. I had like seven straight days of 103-degree fevers. It's tough to play when you're not feeling great.”
But he’s trying to fight and get back on the field.
“It's just trying to get back, trying to get healthy,” Renfrow said. “Trying to do something I love. I enjoyed other parts of life. We had our second daughter, so enjoying that. And just wanting to make sure if I'm going to come back and give my time and attention to something that I was going to be all in on it.”
Refrow said he’s grateful for another opportunity.
“It's a weird feeling,” he said. “It makes you grateful for the times that you do feel good. It makes you grateful for the opportunities that you've had, and when you feel like you've been blessed with some skill to go out there and perform, it makes you not want to waste the opportunity that you have.
“And that was one of the reasons why I wanted to come back and play. I want to try to be a great teammate and try to go out there and compete with some friends.”
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Panthers WR Jimmy Horn Jr. will have to earn a spot
Horn said he believed the Panthers presented the right landing spot for him, according to panthers.com.
“Manifestation,” Horn said. “I manifested it, like because I came with my 30 visit here. This was one of the visits I had. And when I came up, I just felt the vibe. And I was like if I could commit right now like this was college, this is were I would have committed.
“It was just the energy in the building. Like when you come in, you can just feel it. It’s something special going on here. And then like we're looking at the videos, I can see they building around the program and stuff, so this is something that I wanted to be a part of. I prayed about it, manifested it, and God answered my prayer.”
If Horn can make the cut, he may have to show potential value on special teams.
“Special teams is going to be such a huge piece of that puzzle,” Canales said. “How can these guys help us in the coverage units? Can they help us as a returner? That's the part where we get to challenge our guys to find a role, take this thing seriously. ‘You're not here just to catch passes. We only get so many helmets on game day, so we need all of you guys to contribute in different ways.' ”
Horn has already caught the eyes of Panthers’ legend Thomas Davis, according to yahoo.com.
“When you watch Jimmy Horn Jr. play, he’s a ball of energy,” Davis said. “He’s always smiling. He’s always excited. And not to mention the speed, the athleticism, and his ability to track the ball in the air is phenomenal.
“If you watch NFL football, there’s a guy in the NFL that has the same celebration and the same kind of speed. And he throws up the deuces. And that’s Tyreek Hill. That was the tribute to the cheetah right there.”
