WR John Metchie III comments on his new role for the Panthers

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WR John Metchie III comments on his new role for the Panthers

WR John Metchie III comments on his new role for the Panthers

Tim Weaver, Panthers Wire

Thu, Sep 17, 2026 ·

2 min read

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The Carolina Panthers haven't had a dynamic return game in quite some time. And unfortunately for Jimmy Horn Jr. , he wasn't the one to spark it—as the second-year wideout was waived this past Tuesday after muffing a punt in the season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears .

Now that Horn has departed, and seemingly on his way to the Cleveland Browns , the Panthers have tabbed a new primary kick and punt returner—fellow receiver John Metchie III . Despite not having much experience in this arena, with just seven kick returns over his previous three NFL campaigns, Metchie was listed as the No. 1 option on the depth chart ahead of this weekend's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons .

Here's what Metchie had to say about preparing for his new role, per team reporter Kassidy Hill :

"I think just practice just like anything else, Over-the-shoulder catches, you practice. Low catches, you practice. Different routes, just practice. It's kind of a simple formula as far as getting ready: there's no magic pill or a quote. But it's not really how many you get... It's not like you catch 500 punt returns in a day, so you're ready. It's more about how intentional you can be with it. How many intentional reps can I have even when you're tired and it's at the end of practice? Can you still be locked into your cues and not just be like, all right, let me just catch the ball, because those don't help you."

Metchie did show promise as a returner during the preseason this summer, posting 111 yards on four kickoffs and eight yards on one punt return. He also has the requisite speed and agility in space, totaling 293 career yards after the catch on 73 receptions.

Hopefully, Metchie thrives in his new role, and the Panthers won't have to continue their search any further.