Feb. 16, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Could the Carolina Panthers<\/a> already be out of the Xavier Legette business?<\/p>\n That seems like an appealing prospect to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who has cooked up 11 trade proposals<\/a> that might make sense for this offseason. He connects the Panthers with the Indianapolis Colts<\/a>\u2014with Carolina shipping off Legette and a 2026 fifth-round pick for fellow wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and a 2026 seventh-round pick.<\/p>\n Barnwell writes:<\/p>\n All of Pittman’s 2026 salary is nonguaranteed, so Indy could cut him if needed. He would have some modest trade value as a WR2 for teams that aren’t spending a ton on their passing game, though. The Panthers fit the bill there, as\u00a0Bryce Young,\u00a0Jalen Coker\u00a0and\u00a0Tetairoa McMillan\u00a0are all on their rookie contracts. The 6-foot-4 Pittman would be another big target in a Panthers wide receiver room full of them, and Pittman’s work underneath would allow McMillan more freedom to work from the slot and at the intermediate and deep levels of the field.<\/p>\n Pittman is coming off a career-high seven touchdowns. The former second-round pick has proven to be a steady and reliable contributor in the pros, having tallied 485 receptions for 5,254 yards and 25 scores over six NFL seasons.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n Legette, on the other hand, has not been the model of consistency . . . or at least the good type of consistency. The 2024 first-rounder took a dip from his underwhelming rookie campaign, reeling in 35 balls for 363 yards and three touchdowns in 2025.<\/p>\n He also amassed a career-low single-game snap share<\/a> this past year, playing in just 31.4 percent of offensive snaps in Carolina’s huge regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>.<\/p>\n