The 2023 NFL season was one the Carolina Panthers and their fans will want to put behind them. The offseason could not come quick enough for a Panthers team that finished with a league-worst 2-15 record. Under a new head coach and general manager, Carolina has been active in the offseason as the they look to bounce back in 2024.
On Tuesday, the team announced that they had signed journeyman Ihmir Smith-Marsette to boost their receiving corp. Smith-Marsette is set to return on a one-year deal.
The 6’1″ speedster featured in all 17 games for the Carolina Panthers last season as both a wide receiver and a regular on the special teams unit. He finished the year with eight receptions for 51 yards, 74 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.
ISM is staying in Carolina 🙌 pic.twitter.com/v97a019cla
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) March 13, 2024
Smith-Marsette is entering his fourth season in the NFL. He was a fifth round draft pick out of the University of Iowa and has had stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bear and Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, he has featured in the 33 NFL games for four different organizations.
The Panthers offense was one of the poorest ranked in the NFL. The team ranked last in points per game with just 13.9 during the regular season. They also ranked last in passing yards per game with an average of just 161.2. With the addition of Smith-Marsette along with a trade that will bring the talented Diontae Johnson to Carolina, quarterback Bryce Young should have some weapons to throw to next season.
