The Carolina Panthers have made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. It was an unconventional path: they went into the playoffs with a losing record and needed help from the Atlanta Falcons to do it, but the Panthers are in the dance.
In their playoff game on Saturday, the Panthers will face the Los Angeles Rams, a team they upset in Carolina earlier this season. The Panthers hope to repeat history, and they’ll need all hands on deck.
On Tuesday, the Panthers activated a veteran wide receiver in David Moore, but had to cut another, Hunter Renfrow.
End of Comeback Attempt
According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport on Twitter, the Panthers waived wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and safety Demani Richardson to add David Moore back to the 53-man roster.
Renfrow, the former Pro Bowl wide receiver with the Las Vegas Raiders, attempted a courageous comeback to the NFL this season after a battle with ulcerative colitis kept him out of the league all of 2024.
Renfrow made the team despite being cut in August after the Panthers traded Adam Thielen. He was active in the first six games of the season and had 15 receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns. However, over the past 11 games, Renfrow has been inactive following the return of receiver Jalen Coker, who has been a more significant part of the offense.
Coker has made the most of his opportunities since returning from injury with 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games, as the Panthers’ number two receiver.
The return of David Moore is a welcome addition for head coach Dave Canales, who played for Canales on two other playoff teams.
Playoff Experience
Panthers head coach Dave Canales is excited to have David Moore back on the field for the Panthers. He is the only member of the receiving group that has playoff experience, and that will be invaluable for a young team experiencing the next level for the first time.
Moore played under Canales with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. Canales trusts Moore and his experience.
In October 2024, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com wrote about Canales praising Moore’s leadership of the younger receivers.
“It’s huge for those guys,” Canales said of Moore’s influence on young receivers. “It’s the things that happen from the time you get up from the time you come into the building before practice — body readiness, mental readiness, all those things, the attention to detail and focus it requires to have success in this league. Those guys are huge examples for that group.”
Moore’s best playoff game of the six he played between Seattle and Tampa Bay was his last one in 2023, with Canales as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator.
In that game, Moore had three receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown, including a 44-yard touchdown from Baker Mayfield. Moore hopes to bring that big-play ability to the field when the Panthers play the Rams on Saturday. The Panthers will need to pull out all of the stops once again in a game where many feel that they are overmatched, and Moore can be a key figure.
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