Dave Canales is making smart choice with young Panthers WRs

There’s a playoff game this Saturday at Bank of America Stadium, which happens to be a rematch from the regular season. The Carolina Panthers rallied to the beat the Los Angeles Rams, 31-28, in Week 13, thanks to a balanced attack and some timely fourth-down throws from quarterback Bryce Young.

The Panthers’ young receiving corps has begun to come into its own down the stretch, and credit goes to the head coach in regards to a key adjustment.

Dave Canales has moved Jalen Coker into more of a starter role in 12 personnel, and for good reason.
Coker played season-high 92% of the off. snaps vs Bucs, while Xavier Legette played a career-low 31%.

Expect similar snap distribution moving forward. Production business.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 5, 2026

Jalen Coker has had the hot hand(s) down the stretch, and ironically it began with the team’s Week 13 surprise of the Rams in Charlotte. After missing the first six games of the season, the former undrafted free agent was targeted 19 times in Carolina’s next six games. He pulled down 14 passes for 150 yards and failed to reach the end zone.

It was a much different story in the Panthers’ final five games of 2025, starting with the clash with Sean McVay’s club. In those contests, he saw 24 passes his way, totaling 19 receptions for 244 yards and three scores.

While first-rookie draft choice Tetairoa McMillan easily led Canales’s club in targets (122), catches, (70), receiving yards (1,014) and TD grabs (7), Coker really made his presence felt as time wore on. Despite missing those aforementioned six games of the season, he finished fourth on the club with 33 grabs, second with 394 receiving yards (11.9) and tied for second on the team, along with Xavier Legette and Chuba Hubbard, with three touchdown receptions.

Young’s final five games saw him throw eight touchdown passes opposed to two interceptions. Five of those scores came via Coker (3) and McMillan (2). Both reached the end zone in this season’s win over the Rams. Coker hauled in a 33-yard score in the third quarter, while Young and McMillan teamed for what proved to be the deciding touchdown via a 43-yard connection. Could this duo come up big against the Rams for the second time this season?

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