Xavier Legette injury: Panthers rookie receiver's status update for Week 17
Xavier Legette missed last week's contest for the Carolina Panthers. The rookie wide receiver suffered a hip injury vs. the Dallas Cowboys and has been week-to-week. Legette is also slated to have surgery on his wrist once the season ends, so he's had a banged-up year.
The lack of depth in the receiver room has provided opportunities for others. However, it's still important for Legette to play so that the Panthers can see what their full offense is capable of and see how useful Legette can be. It would also go a long way in determining if they need to address WR in the offseason. Here's the latest scoop on Legette.
Xavier Legette remains a long shot for Week 17
Head coach Dave Canales revealed that Xavier Legette has a long way to go. He said that the rookie wide receiver is now day-to-day instead of week-to-week, but "significant improvement" is needed before he expects the first-round pick to suit up.
Adam Thielen just passed Legette in receiving yards, so the rookie has been a key part of the offense all year long. His absence hurts the depth, which was seen last Sunday when the Panthers had just one drafted WR on the field (David Moore, a former seventh-round pick).
However, it didn't seem to hurt the passing offense. It wasn't supremely prolific, but Bryce Young had one of the best days as a passer he's ever had. He had the second-best QBR of his career, and he was the highest-graded QB from PFF last week.
- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -
NFL power rankings: Panthers rise after beating Cardinals in overtime
ESPN analyst hails ‘vibe change’ for Panthers in upset win over Cards
NFL Week 17 odds: Panthers underdogs again for rematch with Bucs
Takeaways from Panthers’ walk-off win in overtime against Arizona