Panthers coaches are set on getting Jalen Coker going. What’s their plan?
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales was discussing one reason for his team’s success as of late — after winning its fourth game of its last five in dramatic fashion in Green Bay — when he volunteered something interesting.
It was about his second-year receiver Jalen Coker.
“This is a group that’s growing together,” Canales said, beginning a point on his wide receivers. “The young skill group that we have with TMac (Tetairoa McMillan), Xavier (Legette), Jalen—“
Canales then stopped and shifted his train of thought. He spent a few moments thereafter sharing that Coker has gotten healthier and grown week to week, even if the numbers don’t exactly suggest so. Canales went on to say that Coker’s production falls a lot on himself and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik — who collaborate on designing the offense and calling plays during the game.
In so many words:
The Panthers are looking to get Coker more involved in the pass game.
“I gotta do a better job — Brad and I — of getting Jalen going,” Canales said. “There weren’t a lot of passes to go around last week. I think we had 20 passes on the day or something like that. But Jalen made the plays when we needed him to.”
Jalen Coker’s relatively slow start
Coker hasn’t had an ideal start to his second season in the NFL. And it almost has nothing to do with what he’s done in games.
The 6-foot-1, 213-pound wideout spent the first six games of the season on the injured reserve with a quad injury he suffered in a practice right before Week 1. And since returning, through three games, he’s only notched four catches on seven targets for 45 yards.
That’s different than what was expected after a stellar rookie year. In 2024, Coker got promoted from the practice squad to the active roster and flourished to the tune of 32 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns. Coker had an equally good training camp this summer — one highlighted by an electric preseason game against the Browns that featured a touchdown catch early and a one-handed contested grab later.
According to Idzik, there are a lot of reasons for Coker’s lower-than-expected production in 2025 to date. And there are many more reasons for why it’s in the best interest of the team to change that.
“Jalen is just a phenomenal receiver,” Idzik said. “Usually when the ball goes his way, he catches it. I think there’s a crazy no-drop rate he had last year (one drop in 45 targets). ... He’s just been consistent that way. He finds ways to win.”
Idzik then offered a story about Coker from the Panthers’ loss to the Bills a few weeks ago.
“We talk about sometimes in the receiver room, in the skill position room: No boring routes,” Idzik said. “Some of these underneath routes at times, when you get pressed man-to-man, you sometimes feel like it’s a ‘for the love of the game’ route. But we don’t have those in our offense. We try to pride ourselves in making sure our guys run every route to win.
“And there was a great example of that versus Buffalo. We’re calling a simple stick concept, and he ends up shaking free on a little five-yard out breaker versus the nickel. He does a great job playing physical, attacking in nature, and then making a play for us. So Jalen does a great job of that.”
Jalen Coker is healthy — and ready
It’s true that the Panthers took their time getting Coker back and healthy. The second-year receiver’s 21-day return-to-practice window opened in Week 6, but the team decided against activating him against the Cowboys to get another week of recovery.
But according to Idzik — and to Coker himself — “he looks great.”
“He did a great job on scramble-reaction last week,” Idzik said. “He’s playing really physical in the run game. We love to reward guys for doing that. I talked about the tight ends the other week, maybe three or four weeks ago, just how physical they are on sift blocks (a specific block on split-zone plays), and how that can work to our advantage, and working with some of the keepers.
“And well, Jalen’s the same way. And he’s special in the pass game. So really excited to get him going.”
What’s the secret to getting Jalen Coker more targets?
As for how to get Coker more involved? That’s easier said than done.
The Panthers, after all, are developing an identity as a run-first offense. And it’s working — what with the emergence of running back Rico Dowdle and the resilience of a bruised but still strong offensive line.
On top of that, quarterback Bryce Young has a lot of young receivers he’s tasked with throwing the ball to. McMillan, the team’s prolific rookie who’s showing early signs of being a legitimate star, leads the team in receptions (41), targets (69) and yards (558). The next two top pass-catchers in terms of yards are Legette (181) and Dowdle (132). In total, seven Panthers players have over 100 receiving yards on the year — and seven have also found the end zone.
Finding Coker more opportunities, therefore, will require a concerted effort by the coaching staff. And such an effort will yield results, Idzik said.
“It’s making him the focal point in some of the concepts, making sure you mix and match where you’re putting him,” Idzik said. “I know TMac’s gotten a lot of targets. When you have TMac, Jalen and Xavier and Jimmy all making plays in the receiver room, and then Tommy (Tremble) and JT (Sanders) and Mitch (Evans) also adding to it in the tight end room, we’re just making sure that you don’t have to always put one guy at the primary.
“And just cycling through that thing not only keeps the defense off guard, but also keeps our guys engaged.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2025 at 11:50 AM.
