The Carolina Panthers are looking to surround quarterback Bryce Young with as much weaponry as possible as he heads into his third season.
When Carolina selected Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they were hoping that he would develop into a franchise quarterback who could lift them out of the doldrums. Instead, Young struggled on an offensive unit that lacked the adequate pass protection or perimeter talent needed for a young passer to thrive.
The Panthers shipped away running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver D.J. Moore in trades prior to Young’s arrival, leaving the team with few options to move the ball. After those mistakes, Carolina clearly made it a priority to restock their offense this offseason.
Panthers are continuing to stockpile weapons for Bryce Young
The Panthers continued to improve their offense after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Panthers agreed to terms with former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow on Sunday, the team announced.
The 29-year-old wide receiver was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and served in a complementary role before enjoying a breakout campaign in 2021. Renfrow earned a Pro Bowl nod that season after finishing with 103 receptions for 1,038 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His production took a dip over the following two seasons, but that may have been a byproduct of the Raiders’ deteriorating roster.
Renfrow was out of the league last year, but he has proven to be capable of providing valuable production out of the slot. The Panthers can certainly use all the help they can get after finishing as the third-worst scoring offense last season.
Renfrow will join an offense in Carolina that is also welcoming Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who the Panthers selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carolina also has wide receiver Xavier Legette, who they selected with the No. 32 overall pick in last year’s draft, and veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who led the team with 615 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season.
Sooner or later, one of these new additions should work out for Carolina. If they don’t, it may be time to start considering that the fault may lie with Young rather than the wide receivers.