Feb. 2, 2026, 1:30 p.m. ET
Which potential trade candidates could the Carolina Panthers look into for the 2026 campaign?
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently named every NFL team’s top trade targets entering the upcoming offseason. The trio of possibilities for the Panthers includes a pair of tight ends—Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears and Michael Mayer of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Ballentine writes:
There are a few tight ends who are probbly underutilized by their current teams. Cole Kmet has been eclipsed by Colston Loveland while Brock Bowers overshadows Michael Mayer in Vegas. Either could lead the Panthers tight end room and give Bryce Young a strong target to work with.
Carolina hasn’t had a tight end eclipse the 400-yard receiving mark since 2019, when franchise great Greg Olsen amassed 597 yards in his final season with the organization. This past year saw the Panthers complete passes to four different tight ends, all of whom combined for 638 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
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The Panthers have also been hindered by a lack of production in the pass-rushing department. Their defense finished 2025 with the second-lowest pressure rate (16.5 percent) as well as the third-fewest sacks (30).
So, Ballentine links them to Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu:
Uchenna Nwosu is a veteran with experience on an elite defense in Seattle. His seven sacks would have led the Panthers this season and the Seahawks could create some cap space by dealing him.
Nwosu, a former second-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, has played eight NFL seasons. He tallied 7.0 sacks for the NFC champions in 2025, the most since his career-high 9.5 takedowns from 2022.
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