The topic of Xavier Legette has been a hotly contested one among Panthers fans, and his performance on Sunday didn’t quiet the noise.
In a 59-37 Panthers loss to the Chicago Bears, Legette failed to make his presence known, catching no passes on two targets, including a drop.
Entering his third year, the former first-round pick is in a make-or-break season, but his head coach, Dave Canales, still isn’t turning his back on the struggling wide receiver.
Breakout Coming
Xavier Legette has struggled to establish himself in the NFL as he enters his third season. Initially brought in to become the Panthers’ number one receiver, that plan didn’t pan out and led the Panthers to draft Tetairoa McMillan in the first round last season, who went on to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Legette has since faded into the de facto number three receiver after the emergence of Jalen Coker; however, Panthers head coach Dave Canales is not giving up on Legette just yet.
In his September 16 article, Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer wrote about Canales’ confidence in Legette because he’s a hard worker.
“And for XL, it’s coming. I truly believe it. And I think I’ve said it a lot of times up here, but hard work works, Canales said. “And that’s what I’ve seen from him. He had a fantastic practice today. He’s a part of our gameplan. We’re counting on XL. I can’t wait to see him continue to take those strides.”
Legette’s hard work caught the eye of quarterback Bryce Young in the offseason, but it hasn’t yet translated to the field.
Attention to Detail
The NFL is a results-oriented business, so when a player struggles, fans may assume the player’s process off the field is a work in progress as well. In the case of Xavier Legette, by most accounts, he’s been working hard in every aspect of his game to improve.
In June at minicamp, Bryce Young raved about Legette taking control of the wide receiver room as a veteran and his attention to detail. Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer wrote about Young’s assessment of Legette.
“You see that extra command,” Young said of Legette after the minicamp workout on Tuesday. “He’s one of the vets in the receiver room. He’s getting guys lined up. You see the rookies come in, asking him, ‘Where am I on this?’ And him having ownership. I call a route, and it’s automatic: I know exactly my split, I know the detail.”
Legette’s next chance to prove himself and show his hard work in practice will be against the Panthers’ division rival, the Atlanta Falcons.
Panthers HC Dave Canales Isn’t Giving Up On Xavier Legette