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Panthers Leader Sends Xavier Legette Clear Message After Crucial Drop

Xavier Legette's crucial drop was immediately addressed by a Panthers team leader after Sunday's loss to the Eagles.

By Jason Schandl

Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) can't hang onto the pass late during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) can't hang onto the pass late during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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Amidst the excitement of the Carolina Panthers taking the fight to the Philadelphia Eagles and Bryce Young wowing us with another clutch drive, it's not all roses in Carolina. Xavier Legette's key drop may have been good for improving the value of the Panthers' upcoming first-round pick, but it certainly hurt for any fans who wanted to see their team upset one of the top teams in the NFL.

And Legette's drop, of course, wasn't only noteworthy to fans. Panthers players and coaches definitely took note of the mistake, and one leader in the locker room wasted no time sending a public message to Legette.

Adam Thielen spoke to the media about the drop before he even spoke to Legette himself, sending a clear message:

Adam Thielen Addresses Xavier Legette Drops in Panthers Locker Room

Adam Thielen delivered a powerful message of encouragement to the rookie, immediately harkening back to "tough plays he didn't make" from earlier in his career, including playoff blunders. He offered immediate support for Legette, reinforcing that the Panthers locker room is there to lift him up.

This is why you keep a veteran like Thielen on the roster even when you're rebuilding. There were talks of trading the 34-year-old vet at the trade deadline because he may not have anything left in the tank by the time the Panthers are ready to be playoff contenders. But culture matters, and moments like this really solidify the culture.

This should also really help with Legette's confidence. With few exceptions, just about every NFL wide receiver actually has incredible hands — drops are often a mental issue, with confidence and concentration at the core of them. A rookie year riddled with drops has the potential to destroy a young receiver's confidence and create a career-long struggle.

And Legette's rookie year, unfortunately, has been riddled with drops. This is the most high-profile one, but PFF credits him with 7 on the season, while Pro-Football-Reference gives him 6. If you ask most Panthers fans, they'd probably guess the actual number was higher than either of those marks.

Thielen is as surehanded as they come, with a career 3.4% drop rate (compare to 9.0% for Legette in 2024), and he knows what it will take to make sure Legette can shake this issue before it starts to become a long-term concern.

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