The Carolina Panthers will face the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 6 matchup without wide receiver Jalen Coker, who has been ruled out due to a quadriceps injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The 23-year-old was designated to return from injured reserve earlier this week and participated fully in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he will have to wait for his 2025 regular-season debut until Week 7 against the New York Jets on Sunday, October 19.
Carolina placed Coker on injured reserve following final roster cuts in August, has missed the first four weeks of the season. The 6-foot-3 receiver had shown promise as a rookie last year after signing with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. In 11 games during his debut campaign, Coker recorded 32 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns, including a remarkable 110-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Cowboys in Week 15.
Coker’s dexterity in making contested catches and generating explosive plays had him set to take a leading role in Carolina’s offense, especially after the team traded Adam Thielen in the offseason.
Without Coker, the Panthers will continue to rely on rookie Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Hunter Renfrow in three-wideout sets. McMillan has been the only receiver outside of Coker to make a notable impact this season, with 24 catches on 43 targets for 351 yards, though he has yet to record a touchdown this season.
The Panthers enter Week 6 hoping to turn the corner on their offensive woes. In five games, Carolina is averaging 187.0 passing yards per game (26th in the NFL) and 128.0 rushing yards per game (10th). Bryce Young, the team’s quarterback, has passed for 951 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 60.9% of his passes and averaging 190.2 yards per game.
On the ground, Chuba Hubbard has 217 rushing yards and two receiving touchdowns, while Rico Dowdle contributes 289 yards and two rushing scores. Overall, the team averages 20.4 points per game, ranking 23rd in scoring.
Defensively, Carolina has shown moderate success. Christian Rozeboom leads the team with 37 tackles, while Tre’von Moehrig has 36 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss. Derrick Brown has added one sack, 16 tackles, and two passes defended, and Mike Jackson Sr. has one interception along with 19 tackles and four passes defended.
The Panthers will host the Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
