Xavier Legette in Walking Boot With Ankle Injury: Panthers WR’s Camp Absence Adds Uncertainty to Carolina’s 7.5 Win Total

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette spent Friday night on the sideline in a walking boot after twisting his right ankle during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury kept him out of Carolina’s 34-17 preseason win over the Jaguars, and head coach Dave Canales made clear afterward that there’s no set date for his return.

“He got his ankle twisted up. He has some soreness in his foot, so we evaluated him,” Canales told reporters following the game. “Right now we’re going to just get him back going little by little, and hopefully we’ll see him at the end of this week, but I can’t tell you exactly when he’s going to be back. We’re just going to have to take it day by day and kind of go with whatever’s happening in his foot.”

A Second Camp Scare for the Third-Year Wideout

Legette, a third-round pick who has emerged as a key piece of Carolina’s receiver room, was rolled up on during Wednesday’s joint session and immediately left the field in a boot. Canales’ day-to-day language and refusal to commit to a firm timeline makes it unlikely Legette suits up for the preseason finale against the Houston Texans on Aug. 28, leaving him with little to no exhibition reps as the regular season closes in.

This marks the second injury interruption of training camp for Legette, who was previously sidelined by a neck stinger that had him carted off the practice field. He was later cleared and Canales said he “felt great” heading into the preseason opener against Arizona, only for the ankle issue to crop up in the very next joint practice window. The pattern of stop-start camp appearances is a notable wrinkle for a Panthers offense that has been trying to establish continuity among its skill-position players heading into Week 1.

With Legette out, the Panthers have leaned on their depth. Jimmy Horn, John Metchie and David Moore have all picked up extra reps as the team’s WR3 behind rookie standout Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, giving Canales and the coaching staff a longer look at how the back end of the receiver rotation might shake out if Legette’s absence extends into the regular season.

What It Means for Carolina’s Betting Markets

The Panthers enter the 2026 season priced as one of the more polarizing teams in the league after riding a surprise NFC South title to their first playoff berth since 2017. Carolina’s win total sits at 7.5, with the market leaning toward the under in most recent postings, and the Panthers carry NFC South odds in the +310 range — second choice in the division behind Tampa Bay. Their Super Bowl price has fluctuated across sportsbooks throughout camp, generally landing in the four-figure range that reflects a team viewed as a fringe playoff contender rather than a legitimate conference threat.

Health at the skill positions is central to how sustainable last year’s breakthrough is, and a receiver room that can’t stay off the injury report during camp adds a layer of uncertainty to those numbers. Legette’s absence doesn’t move the needle in isolation, but it’s the kind of preseason storyline that oddsmakers and bettors alike track closely when gauging whether a team’s win total should trend up or down before Week 1 lines firm up. A receiver corps forced to lean on Horn, Metchie and Moore for extended reps — rather than getting real-game snaps for its projected WR2 or WR3 — is exactly the sort of camp uncertainty that keeps a win total like Carolina’s hovering in coin-flip territory. If Legette’s ankle lingers into the regular season, expect that to be reflected in how sharp money treats Carolina’s early-season spreads and any updates to the team’s division and conference futures.