The Carolina Panthers have moved quickly to fill the void left in their backfield after Fozzy Whittaker went down with a season-ending ACL injury. They’ve signed free-agent running back Kenjon Barner on a one-year deal, per their official website.
Barner, 29, was originally drafted by the Panthers, who took him in the sixth round in 2013. He appeared in eight games, rushing six times for seven yards in his lone year in Carolina before getting traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I'm excited to be back with the team that opened the door for me,” Barner said. “Everything has come full circle. To have the opportunity to be back here, to be in this Carolina blue is a bit of redemption for me.”
Barner spent the past four seasons with the Eagles and was part of last year’s Super Bowl-winning squad, primarily as a special teams player. He had 73 yards on three kick returns against the Patriots. He played 37 games in his four years for the Eagles, rushing for 310 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 19 catches for 120 receiving yards.
Barner is unlikely to feature much in the Panthers’ offense with Christian McCaffrey and recently-acquired veteran C.J. Anderson both ahead of him in the running back depth chart. McCaffrey is set to take on a bigger role in the offense after a strong rookie season, while Anderson will fill the role left by Jonathan Stewart. Instead, Barner will likely feature more in special teams as a kick returner while getting the occasional carry.
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