Former Panthers WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette signs with new team

Another former Carolina Panther headed north.

Schuyler Callihan | Sep 10, 2024

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Carolina Panthers

Monday evening, the New York Giants signed former Carolina Panthers wide receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

Former Panthers GM Scott Fitterer acquired Smith-Marsette in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs that also featured a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-rounders last August. In his brief time with the Panthers, he spent the majority of his time as a punt returner while seeing some action here and there as a gadget receiver.

Smith-Marsette appeared in all 17 games for the Panthers last season but saw just 123 snaps on offense, catching eight passes for 51 yards while adding another 74 yards on eight carries. He was one of the handful of players battling it out for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster, but the Panthers instead opted to split the kick/punt return duties between Raheem Blackshear and David Moore, giving them added depth at running back and receiver.

Blackshear returned eight kicks on Sunday for 204 yards which leads the league. Obviously having that many opportunities helps, but a solid 25.5 yards per return goes a long way as well.