The Carolina Panthers continue to shake up their receiver room since trading Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings. After releasing Hunter Renfrow during final roster cuts, the team is bringing him back onto its active roster.
To make room for Renfrow, the Panthers are placing second-year slot receiver Jalen Coker on injured reserve, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. Coker will miss at least the first four games of the year with a quad injury.
The move comes just after Panthers general manager Dan Morgan backed Coker as the starting slot receiver with Thielen moving on. Morgan said that Coker was one of the main reasons he felt comfortable relinquishing Thielen and doubled down on the 23-year-old as a significant part of the team's future.
Renfrow, 29, received considerable media attention throughout the offseason as he attempted to return to the NFL. The former Pro Bowl slot receiver did not play in 2024 due to his battle with ulcerative colitis, which he did not reveal until after signing with Carolina.
Without either Thielen or Coker on the active roster, Renfrow should be a shoo-in for the Panthers' starting lineup. The position has proven lucrative in recent years, with Thielen leading the team in receiving out of the slot over the last two seasons. Thielen and Coker were the team's two top pass-catchers at the end of the 2024 season, both playing primarily out of the slot.
Panthers receivers regroup after Adam Thielen trade
The Panthers were just 5-12 in 2024, but they boasted one of the hottest offenses at the end of the year. After reclaiming the starting job, Bryce Young played like a man possessed down the stretch and led Carolina to average 31.3 points per game over the final three games of the regular season.
Adjusting to life without Thielen will be key for the Panthers if they wish to continue their success. None of the team's supporting pass-catchers has done much with their opportunities with Young under center.
Carolina drafted Xavier Legette in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, hoping that he would become the team's next alpha wideout, but they already appear skeptical of that outlook. One year after taking Legette, the Panthers doubled down and took Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If Renfrow desires to fill Thielen's role, he will be tested in Week 1. The Panthers begin the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who just made Jourdan Lewis the highest-paid nickelback in the NFL.
