The Carolina Panthers are hoping to put together a show on Sunday Night Football. They may have to do it without Jalen Coker.
Coker, the wide receiver who is having a breakout third season in the NFL, has been dealing with an injury all week after being knocked out of Week 3. It could keep him out of Week 4 against the Detroit Lions, too.
If Coker is out, it’s certainly a painful bit of news for the Panthers.
Is Jalen Coker Playing Tonight?
Nothing has been confirmed about Coker’s status, but two signs point toward no.
The first is that the Panthers elevated Ja’seem Reed from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday. Head coach Dave Canales said that would only happen if Coker was unavailable.
The second is that on Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X that Coker is “unlikely” to play.
Those things point to the same place: an inactive Coker.
Panthers WR Depth Chart
Coker has been operating as a top-two WR on this team, but if he’s out, things get thinned out in a hurry.
The Panthers are also without Xavier Legette, who was placed on injured reserve this weekend.
That leaves Tetairoa McMillan as the clear No. 1 wide receiver. It’s behind him where things get interesting in a hurry.
Interesting in this case doesn’t have to mean bad, though.
The No. 2 WR will likely be Brycen Tremayne. He had four catches for 83 yards in Week 3, aided by Coker exiting the game.
The Panthers also got a touchdown pass in Week 3 from Bryce Young to John Metchie III. Metchie should remain a big-play threat on Sunday night.
The aforementioned Reed is intriguing. He’s a second-year undrafted player who had two touchdown catches during the preseason.
David Moore is also a reliable possession-type receiver for the Panthers, too.
Coker is obviously a huge loss. He has 18 catches through three weeks, and Young clearly trusts him a lot. But there will be options for Young to throw to even if Coker is out.
Watch the TEs
The Panthers may end up putting their tight ends on the field more often in Week 4 if Coker is indeed out.
That means that Tommy Tremble, who has gotten a lot of buzz heading into this season, could be more of a passing-game weapon.
The Panthers also trust the veteran TE Darren Waller, who has already caught multiple touchdowns this season.
Don’t be surprised if Waller and Tremble combine for double-digit targets in what could be a very high-scoring game on Sunday night against the Lions.
Panthers WR Depth Chart Without Jalen Coker Still Intriguing