Carolina Panthers’ head coach Dave Canales gave an injury update on the team’s promising wide receiver, Jalen Coker.
After four games of the 2025 NFL season, it’s clear that the Carolina Panthers need help on the offensive side of the ball, especially within the current wide receiver corps.
2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan has been nothing short of fantastic to begin his professional career, racking up a team-high 278 receiving yards on 18 catches. However, Carolina’s struggles on offense partially stem from the lack of talented weapons surrounding quarterback Bryce Young, as the franchise does not have a single pass catcher outside of McMillan with more than 100 receiving yards this season.
And while former first-round pick Xavier Legette missed the team’s last two games against the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots, Panthers’ fans are eager to see the team’s 2024 UDFA signing, Jalen Coker, take the field for the first time this season. Unfortunately for head coach Dave Canales, it looks as if the offense’s young slot receiver will miss additional time.
During a press conference on Monday, Canales told reporters that Coker is still considered “week-to-week,” which is devastating news for an organization that is in dire need of a playmaker with his skill set.
Despite being part of a loaded wide receiver draft class in 2024, Coker managed to sign with Carolina after recording 2,684 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns during his four seasons at Holy Cross. As an undrafted free agent, the 23-year-old standout took advantage of the Panthers’ weak wide receiver core in his rookie season, tallying 32 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games. His incredible journey gave fans optimism that he could eventually grow into a valuable piece on offense.
But the optimism quickly turned into a big question mark when the team placed Coker on the injury reserve during training camp with a quad injury. With the young pass catcher landing on the IR, he was set to miss the first four games of the 2025 season. And despite the four-week period being officially over last week, Coker will still need more time to fully recover from his offseason injury.
Once Coker makes his return to the lineup, it’s safe to say that the former undrafted receiver will likely be involved with the offense due to the current rough landscape of the room. Through the first four weeks of the season, veteran Hunter Renfrow took a majority of the workload from the slot. The 29-year-old had a terrific game against the Arizona Cardinals in week two, notching seven catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Since then, however, Renfrow has been quiet.
With Coker’s familiarity of the offense and his chemistry with Young, he could be exactly what the Panthers need alongside McMillian. The second-year talent would slide in as the No. 2 wide receiver for Canales and will find more success with McMillian commanding most of the attention from opposing defenses in the passing game for Carolina.