The Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs have agreed on a trade that sends wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette to Carolina in exchange for a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-round selections according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Smith-Marsette was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent the majority of 2022 on the Chiefs practice squad before showing signs of potential throughout this preseason, catching nine passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
The former University of Iowa standout used his speed and route running ability to create impressive highlight reels such as this 43-yard touchdown he hauled in against the Cleveland Browns:
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Smith-Marsette logged an impressive 4.43-second 40-yard dash time coming out of college. His blistering speed has not only allowed him to beat defenders down the field but has also enabled him to thrive as a member of the special teams.
At Iowa, he earned the title of being the Big Ten’s best return specialist by being named the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year award winner in 2018.
Unfortunately, Smith-Marsette was not able to carve out enough of a role in either of his first two professional stints with the Vikings and Chiefs.
Now, he enters one of the weakest wide receiver rooms in the NFL in Carolina where he will have an opportunity to establish himself in the offense.
Led by their new offseason acquisition and 33-year-old wide receiver, Adam Thielen, the Panthers also signed DJ Chark this offseason and drafted Jonathan Mingo in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft.
