Xavier

Legette

Legette briefly popped up on the injury report with a toe issue in the middle of the season but didn’t miss any time because of it. It’s unclear if this procedure is related to the toe injury. Legette also dealt with a wrist injury late in the year, which was expected to require surgery. Morgan noted that he did not end up needing surgery on his wrist. Legette is expected to resume running sooner rather than later. The health issues exacerbated a frustrating season for the rookie wideout. Legette averaged a dreadful 5.9 yards per target and fell just short of 500 yards through the air. A quick recovery and a healthy offseason are hopefully what he needs to turn the corner in 2025.

Legette injured his backside in the first quarter but he seemed fine afterward. The No. 32 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Legette had what can best be described as an up-and-down rookie campaign in a Carolina offense lacking a quarterback who could hit Legette downfield. Scoring four touchdowns on the year, he managed just four games with more than 40 receiving yards while leading all Panthers pass catchers in air yards by a wide margin. Legette, considered something of a long-term project coming out of college, profiles as a deep ball specialist, but nothing close to a No. 1 receiver.

With offseason wrist surgery likely looming and the season already a lost cause at 4-12, the Panthers would be wise to shut Legette down. It remains to be seen whether they will do that though and the rookie receiver will undoubtedly push to play through the two issues.

Legette refused to blame the injury on his drops when pressed, but it does make sense that the wrist could be a limiting factor for Legette in his rookie season. The rookie receiver has caught just 13 of his last 27 targets. Legette will again attempt to play through the injury in Week 18.

Legette easily led the Panthers in targets but failed to do anything with the inflated role. Adam Thielen was far more productive on six looks, five of which he caught for 110 yards and two scores. Legette entered Sunday listed as questionable because of groin and hip issues and looked the part of a rookie playing hurt. He was sluggish with the ball in his hands and failed to win contested looks. Even coming off a 32 percent target share, Legette is a high-risk WR4 for his final game of the year against Atlanta.

Head coach Dave Canales was initially pessimistic about Legette’s odds of suiting up today, saying he needed “significant improvement” to play this week. Things turned around in practice as Legette got in a pair of limited sessions before being listed as questionable. He will likely be used in a part-time role given the lingering injuries, meaning fantasy managers should treat him as a high-risk WR5 for Week 17.

Legette was limited in the final two practices of the week before being listed as questionable. He has been playing through the wrist issue for a while. The hip injury, on the other hand, is an extension of the groin issue he suffered in Week 15. Canales was pessimistic on his odds of suiting up earlier in the week, so fantasy managers will still want to check Carolina’s inactives 90 minutes before kickoff. If active, Legette will be a low-floor WR5 for the final round of the fantasy postseason.

Despite being listed as questionable, head coach Dave Canales has said the plan is for Legette to play against the Buccaneers. The rookie receiver hasn’t found the end zone since Week 9 and hasn’t had a top-24 PPR week since Week 4. With Adam Thielen also back and soaking up targets, It’s hard to view Legette as anything more than a WR5 at this time.

Legette was listed as a full participant on Wednesday, so Thursday’s limited designation is technically a downgrade. That said, Legette has been playing through his wrist injury for years, per Legette, but the hip injury is likely related to the groin issue that sidelined him in Week 16’s win over the Cardinals. We’ll have a better sense of Legette’s Week 17 availability when the team releases its final injury report on Friday, but if he’s unable to play, both Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker would stand to benefit from his absence.

Legette gets in a full practice, but it’s worth noting that the Panthers didn’t have a full practice with the sessional reportedly being played at “half speed.” Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters that Legette would need significant improvement to play in Week 17 against the Buccaneers, so fantasy managers shouldn’t count on Legette being on the field just yet.