Carolina Panthers’ coach, GM weigh in on huge change on special teams
The Carolina Panthers’ specialists trio will look radically different in 2025.
The team will host a kicking competition — likely without the involvement of veteran kicker and current free agent Eddy Piñeiro — this summer, and while longtime long snapper JJ Jansen will return, he will be working with a new punter as well. The team made a switch in free agency, adding veteran punter Sam Martin to fill the void left by former All-Pro specialist Johnny Hekker, who landed with the Tennessee Titans on the same day as Martin’s arrival.
Martin, like Hekker, is 35. He’s not a long-term solution. But with the Panthers preparing to house a relatively inexperienced kicker in head coach Dave Canales’ second year, Martin — who signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal in March — provides a sense of stability at both punter and holder to ease the learning curve within the specialist unit.
He’s also not looked at internally as a downgrade from Hekker, who is coming off a poor season compared to his otherwise impeccable resume.
“As far as just kick for kick, the averages were around the same,” Canales said last week at the NFL’s annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. “So, (we) just know what we can expect, and Sam’s been — in his history — a pretty accurate kicker and had to play outdoors, in some pretty harsh environments. Charlotte doesn’t put him in that many really harsh weather situations, so we’re really looking forward to seeing what he can do for us, and giving us some flexibility.”
Martin played in Buffalo for the Bills over the past three years. He’s punted in the snow, the wind and the rain. And yet, his numbers have been pretty solid throughout that time period.
Last season, Martin averaged 46.7 yards per punt and had 25 attempts downed within the opponent’s 20-yard line. He also had a net punt average of 39.8 yards per attempt. Hekker, who punted in Carolina for three years, averaged 45.7 yards and 41.5 net yards per punt last season. Hekker had 24 attempts downed within the opposite 20-yard line in 2024.
The Panthers feel like a less chaotic weather environment can help Martin’s consistency and production. Martin, an Appalachian State alum, also has a familiarity with the area that could help him adjust to his new surroundings a bit better as well.
Plus, special teams coordinator Tracy Smith is a fan.
“Our special teams coach — he likes Sam a lot,” Carolina general manager Dan Morgan said. “We did try to get Johnny back. Johnny was a valuable piece, an awesome veteran to have back there. But to add Sam, we felt like he punted the ball really well last year, and we were excited to get him, and just kind of hit the ground running with him. Basically, we’re not really having to address that — whether in free agency again, or go draft somebody in the later rounds.”
With Martin and Jansen in place, the Panthers can focus their draft efforts on kickers. Piñeiro, coming off a down year, would be a more expensive option than a rookie, so it would make sense for the Panthers to cost control the position, especially with a competition on the horizon.
While it isn’t guaranteed that the Panthers will select a kicker with one of their nine draft choices, the team is likely to add a rookie during the selection process or in undrafted free agency later this month.
The Panthers want to stage a competition with journeyman Matthew Wright — the only kicker currently on the roster — and the draft is the most cost-effective avenue to bring in worthwhile competitors.
The NFL recently voted to move touchbacks to the 35-yard line on kickoffs. So, the next kicker for the Panthers will need to show consistency with directional attempts on kickoffs. The new guy will also need to put attempts in the landing zone with regularity.
When asked what Smith wants out of the Panthers’ next kicker, Canales was blunt: “Make your field goals, put it in the landing zone.”
After investing in veterans at the other two specialist spots, the Panthers are hoping they can find a young kicker who can check off both of those boxes for Smith on Sundays.
