Jalen Coker: Everything you need to know

Carolina placed an placed exclusive rights free agent tender on Coker on Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports. Coker will thus stick with the Panthers on a one-year deal through the 2026 season. He missed the first six games of 2025 due to a quad injury, then logged a 33-394-3 receiving line across his 11 following regular-season appearances. Coker's highlight performance came during his postseason debut, however, when he secured nine of 12 targets for 134 yards and a touchdown during Carolina's wild-card round loss to the Rams. With another offseason of development under his belt, Coker will be a genuine candidate to step up alongside Tetairoa McMillan as one of the Panthers' clear top wideouts during the 2026 season.

Coker recorded nine receptions on 12 targets for 134 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 34-31 wild-card round loss to the Rams. The Panthers nearly pulled off the significant upset, and Coker was a key to the offense's success. He led the team in every stat and pulled in a seven-yard touchdown catch with 2:39 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Panthers the lead. Coker also chipped in long catches of 52 and 37 yards to record the highest single-game yardage total of his career, even more impressive considering it was his first appearance in the postseason. Coker missed the first half of the regular season with a quadriceps injury, but he looks capable of forming a solid wide receiver duo with Tetairoa McMillan in 2026.

Coker caught six of seven targets for 47 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's 16-14 loss to the Buccaneers. The second-year pro from Holy Cross led the Panthers in targets and receptions while finishing with the second-most receiving yards during Saturday's loss. Coker has established himself as Carolina's No. 2 wideout since returning from injury in the Week 7 win over the Jets, catching 33 of 43 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns across 11 appearances. Following the Week 18 defeat, the Panthers now need the Falcons to beat the Saints on Sunday to force a three-way tie for the division title. In that scenario, Carolina would hold the division tiebreaker and earn the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs, hosting a wild-card game.