David Moore

He’ll be a candidate for a practice squad spot if he wants to stay. Moore was released to make room for the activation of Xavier Legette off injured reserve.

The financials of the deal were not immediately made available. Moore managed only four appearances for the Panthers in 2025 due to a serious elbow injury and was made a healthy inactive for the team’s Wild Card loss to the Rams. Familiarity with head coach Dave Canales and his veteran presence in the locker room were enough to warrant a new contract, although he is likely to play behind Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker.

No real surprises from one of the healthier teams entering the postseason as the Panthers attempt to knock off the Rams at home as 10-point underdogs. It is the franchise’s first home playoff game since 2015.

The veteran wideout has been on injured reserve since the end of September with a serious elbow injury, but could return for the postseason as the Panthers prepare to take on the heavily-favored Rams this weekend. The Panthers in a corresponding move waived veteran journeyman Hunter Renfrow, who had 25 receptions for 255 yards and two touchdowns for Carolina in 2025.

Rookie sixth-rounder Jimmy Horn — you may remember him as Travis Hunter’s Colorado teammate — will get a chance to ply his trade in Moore’s absence, with Dave Canales saying he wants to “make sure he’s able to go out there and give us significant reps. We’ll carve out a role because there’s certainly things he can bring to our offense with his speed and ability to carry the ball and make yards.” Horn could make an interesting pickup in deeper leagues right now with Hunter Renfrow not exactly blossoming last week.

Filling in for an injured Xavier Legette (hamstring), Moore injured his elbow in gruesome fashion on the game’s opening series. It further thins the Panthers’ already nonexistent receiver depth, but it has little ripple effect in fantasy football. Moore is likely looking at a stint on injured reserve.

Moore had a career season in 2024, managing a 32/351/3 receiving line after last being targeted more than 40 times in 2020. The veteran enters his age-30 season as Carolina’s No. 4 receiver behind Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker. It’s possible that the Panthers will draft a receiver and give him even more roster spot competition. Moore has the special teams chops to hang on the back of a 53-man roster if needed, so this seems like a signing without any real downside for Carolina.

Moore ends the season with 32 receptions for 353 yards over 16 games, five of which he started and had a role in the Carolina passing offense. A journeyman wideout who hadn’t been on the fantasy radar since 2020 with the Seahawks, Moore was a somewhat reliable target for Bryce Young in an offense without much in the way of pass-catching threats. Moore, 29, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

With Xavier Legette (hip) out, Moore remained part of the Panthers’ regular targets rotation. The score was his second in five games. Good for Moore, but not terribly relevant for fantasy managers even heading into a plus Week 17 matchup with the Bucs.

Moore suffered a concussion in the Panthers’ Week 15 loss to the Cowboys. He was practicing in full by Friday, putting him in the final steps of the league’s concussion protocol as of the last practice report. With Xavier Legette out this week, Moore will remain a fixture of the team’s three-receiver sets. With his target totals cooling lately, Moore is deep in the FLEX ranks for Carolina’s matchup with the Cardinals.

Moore was limited for the first two practices fo the week because of the concussion. He was upgraded to a full session on Friday, meaning he should be cleared over the weekend. With Xavier Legette ruled out and Jalen Coker listed as questionable, Moore could be the team’s No. 2 receiver this week. If that’s the case, Moore would creep into the WR4 ranks versus Arizona.

With Jalen Coker back from a quad issue this week, Moore’s role took a notable hit. His four targets were good for a 14 percent target share and are a four-week low for the veteran wideout. Xavier Legette left this game with a groin issue, but the absence didn’t result in a windfall of targets for Moore. Even if Legette misses time, Moore will top out at a WR6 ranking for Week 16.

He caught a brilliant play-action drop in the bucket from Bryce Young to set up Carolina’s first touchdown. Moore has amazingly cleared at least four targets in each of the last six weeks and has as strong an argument as anyone to be Carolina’s WR2 at this point, but that’s a title that has little fantasy value. Moore will be a higher-floor FLEX play against the Cowboys in Week 15.

Moore is handling his contributor role better than expected; his nine targets trailed on Adam Thielen’s 10. Moore dropped multiple passes though and looks every bit the 29-year-old journeyman that he is. Fantasy managers should treat him as a WR7 against the Eagles in Week 14.

With Jalen Coker sidelined with a quad injury, Moore came out of nowhere to lead the Panthers in targets and receptions, catching Bryce Young’s lone touchdown on the day. Moore nearly came down with another touchdown in the fourth quarter on a desperation throw from a pressured Young. He ran a route on 41 of Young’s 43 drop backs. Moore’s 80 yards against KC were the fourth most of his seven-year NFL career. While it would be surprising if Moore continued operating as Carolina’s WR1, he could be worth a pickup in deeper fantasy formats if Coker remains out in Week 13 against the Bucs.