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3 Carolina Panthers players who must be traded away in 2025

It'd be best to get some value for these players before they're gone.
Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA;  Carolina Panthers wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) receives a pass to score a touchdown  during the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) receives a pass to score a touchdown during the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

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The trade deadline is coming up soon, and it's time for the Carolina Panthers to decide whether they're in or out this year. Or, as is the trend nowadays, they can be both. Trading away players who won't be there in the future or aren't helping that much now might be a good idea, so here's who should be on the trade block.

Hunter Renfrow

Hunter Renfrow's snap counts are already dwindling. On Sunday, though he had the most clutch catch of the day on fourth down on the winning drive, he only played 27% of the snaps. That's less than Tetairoa McMillan, Brycen Tremayne, and Xavier Legette.

He barely outsnapped Jimmy Horn Jr., whose snap counts are rising. Jalen Coker is coming back. Renfrow has served a purpose, but his role is disappearing. He proved, however, that he can contribute, so the Panthers can easily get a late-round draft pick for him.

DJ Wonnum

Similarly, DJ Wonnum's snap counts are also dropping. He's been fairly effective at times, but Nic Scourton is arguably outproducing him at this point, and Scourton played more snaps on Sunday. Sure, the pass rush is still awful, but losing Wonnum won't change that much.

He's a free agent at the end of the year, so he's likely gone anyway. Trading him now brings back an asset, albeit not a great one, and it opens up snaps for Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, both of whom need to play as much as possible.

Chuba Hubbard

Chuba Hubbar
Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

As much as it's painful to admit, Chuba Hubbard just lost his job. Or at least, he should have. Having two very good running backs isn't a bad thing, but having the most expensive one be the backup isn't exactly ideal, and Rico Dowdle has outperformed him by a shocking margin.

Plus, Trevor Etienne has looked pretty solid when given carries, so he could be the backup. That formula has worked wonders in two straight wins. Additionally, Jonathon Brooks is coming back next year, so the RB room is crowded. Hubbard would probably get the most value since he's both good and under contract for a while, too.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI.