On his third team in three years, Hurst hopes to help the Panthers as a middle-field target for rookie Bryce Young. Sadly, Hurst's receiving average has dropped in each of his five seasons and last year he saw three or fewer touchdowns for the fourth time in five years. If there's a glimmer of hope it's that the Panthers receiving corps is awfully shallow, providing Hurst with a chance to see more than the 5.2 targets per game he averaged in 2022. His Week 1 matchup at Atlanta won't be impossible, so at the very least you could draft Hurst with a late-round pick and then hope he gets your team off to a good start this fall. He shouldn't get picked until at least 20 other tight ends get taken, which means he might not get drafted at all.
Hurst (concussion) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hurst hasn't practiced since emerging with a concussion following the Panthers' loss at Chicago on Nov. 9. With just one more opportunity to mix into drills this week, he seems to be on the outside looking in to return to action Sunday at Tennessee. Hurst may be a candidate to be ruled out on the Panthers' final Week 12 injury report Friday.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Not practicing
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Hurst (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hurst was inactive for the first time this season when Carolina lost to Dallas this past Sunday. Another absence is possible for Sunday's matchup with Tennessee, potentially leaving Tommy Tremble in a larger role again as Carolina's top tight end after he played 76 percent of the offensive snaps against the Cowboys.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Ruled out for Week 11
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Hurst (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Dallas.
Hurst has been in a TE timeshare with Tommy Tremble, who caught multiple passes each of the past four games after hauling in only two balls over the first five weeks of the season. It's also possible Ian Thomas (calf) and Stephen Sullivan (shoulder) take on more snaps in Hurst's absence, though both are listed as questionable on the final injury report. Carolina tight ends have accounted for 36 catches, 334 yards and three TDs in nine games this season -- about half the production that WR Adam Thielen has provided on his own.
Hurst (concussion) was a non-participant in Thursday's practice.
Hurst has missed both of Carolina's first two Week 11 practices while in concussions protocol and thus appears to be trending toward an absence Sunday against the Cowboys. If Hurst is sidelined this weekend, Tommy Tremble would have a clearer path to the No. 1 role at tight end after the two had been working in a timeshare in recent weeks.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Concussion confirmed
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Hurst is in the NFL's concussion protocol and didn't practice Wednesday.
Joe Person of The Athletic previously reported Tuesday that Hurst had entered the protocol at some point following the Panthers' Week 10 loss to the Bears, but it wasn't until the release of Wednesday's injury report that the team confirmed as much. Given that Hurst wasn't able to practice in any fashion to begin Week 11 prep, he may struggle to clear all five steps of the protocol in advance of Sunday's game against the Cowboys. If Hurst is sidelined this weekend, Tommy Tremble would likely serve as Carolina's top tight end, and the Panthers could get Ian Thomas (calf) back from injured reserve to bolster depth at the position.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Placed in concussion protocol
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Hurst entered the NFL's concussion protocol during this past Thursday's 16-13 loss to the Bears, a league source tells Joe Person of The Athletic.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich hasn't confirmed that Hurst was placed in the protocol, but the tight end's status could get cleared up when the team releases its first Week 11 injury report Wednesday. Hurst finished the Week 10 contest with two catches for 14 yards on four targets and has moved into a time share with Tommy Tremble, with both players logging north of 30 percent of the offensive snaps over the past four games. If Hurst can't go Sunday against the Cowboys, Tremble would likely serve as the Panthers' primary tight end, though Ian Thomas (calf) could also factor into the mix after he was designated for return from injured reserve last week.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Long gain Sunday
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Hurst caught two of four targets for 54 yards in Sunday's 27-13 loss to the Colts.
Hurst's performance was highlighted by a season-long catch of 48 yards. The tight end gained more yardage on that play than he did in his previous four outings combined, providing a needed jolt to his stock. Despite that improvement, Hurst still played fewer snaps than fellow tight end Tommy Tremble, who caught two passes for 12 yards.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Churns out full practice
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Hurst (illness) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.
Hurst appears to have moved past the illness that kept him from practicing Wednesday, but that won't guarantee him a role as the Panthers' top tight end Sunday against the Colts. After playing barely north of 50 percent of the Panthers' offensive snaps in both of the team's final two games before a Week 7 bye, Hurst dropped down to a season-low 31 percent snap share in this past Sunday's 15-13 win over the Texans. Tommy Tremble ended up leading the position group with a 54 percent share and caught two passes for four yards and a touchdown on three targets. Tremble's modest production still outpaced that of Hurst, who failed to corral either of his two targets en route to finishing without a reception for the first time in seven appearances on the season.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Dealing with illness
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Hurst was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to an illness.
Hurst was among a number of key skill-position players sitting out to kick off Week 9 prep, with wide receivers Adam Thielen (rest), DJ Chark (elbow) and Laviska Shenault (ankle) also going down as non-participants on the official practice report. Fortunately for Hurst, he came down with an illness in the middle of the week, giving him plenty of time to recover ahead of Sunday's game against the Colts. He'll have two more chances to get back on the practice field this week.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: No catches Sunday
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Hurst finished with zero catches on two targets in Sunday's 15-13 win over the Texans.
Hurst's goose egg came while he played a season-low 19 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, listed backup Tommy Tremble featured for a season-high 33 plays. Although Tremble managed only two catches for four yards, one of his grabs was a touchdown. That situation has Hurst's stock trending firmly downward ahead of next Sunday's game versus the Colts.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Just one grab against Miami
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Hurst caught one of three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Dolphins.
Hurst has now finished with only one reception in three of Carolina's last four games heading into its bye week. Meanwhile, Tommy Tremble caught two passes for 25 yards in Sunday's loss while playing 31 snaps to Hurst's 36, one week after he caught his first TD of the season. While the veteran tight end remains atop the depth chart heading into the Panthers' Week 7 bye, Hurst's position seems tenuous.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Makes three grabs
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Hurst caught all three of his targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 42-24 loss to the Lions.
Hurst's production wasn't anything special, but it still marked improvement from consecutive one-catch showings the two weeks prior. Nonetheless, with one-yard touchdowns going to wideout Adam Thielen and reserve tight end Tommy Tremble, Hurst missed out on potential scoring boosts to his stock.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Another quiet outing
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Hurst caught one of three targets for seven yards in Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Vikings.
Hurst now has seen his receiving yards decrease each week since opening the season with five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. That slide makes it hard to get excited over his stock heading into Week 5's game in Detroit.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Just one grab
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Hurst caught one of three targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 37-27 loss to the Seahawks.
Hurst played over 60 percent of Carolina's offensive snaps but again saw his production decrease. Although backup Andy Dalton was under center, he still passed 58 times for 361 yards, with Hurst only making a small contribution. The tight end's stock has taken a dip since recording five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown Week 1.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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In Week 1 at Atlanta, Hurst was great with five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. He disappeared in Week 2 against the Saints, who are awesome against tight ends, with just three catches for 20 yards on three targets. In deeper leagues, I'd go back to Hurst again in Week 3 at Seattle. The Seahawks just allowed Sam LaPorta to catch five passes for 63 yards on six targets, and Hurst could post a similar stat line in this matchup.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Three catches in loss
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Hurst caught all three of his targets for 20 yards in Monday night's 20-17 loss to the Saints.
The veteran tight end's output wasn't anything special, as Carolina's passing attack managed just 153 yards under rookie QB Bryce Young. Through two games, Hurst has hauled in eight of his 10 targets and profiles as a useful red-zone option for Young after scoring in Week 1.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Not targeted
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Hurst wasn't targeted in Friday's preseason game against the Lions.
Hurst played most of the snaps with the first-team offense on the first two drives but nonetheless finishes the preseason with only one target (a five-yard catch) on QB Bryce Young's 24 pass attempts. While his role as the team's top receiving TE appears safe, Hurst is probably no better than the third or fourth option in Frank Reich's passing game heading into a Week 1 contest in Atlanta.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Back in action
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Hurst, who had been on the mend from offseason sports hernia surgery, participated in Wednesday's minicamp practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Now that he's back on the field, Hurst -- who signed a three-year deal with the Panthers in March -- is slated to lead Carolina's tight end corps following a 2022 campaign in which he caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games with the Bengals. As long as he can stay healthy, Hurst should serve as a key short and intermediate target for rookie quarterback Bryce Young, a context that could result in enough volume for Hurst's fantasy stock to see an uptick in 2023.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Should practice Friday
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Coach Frank Reich said he expects Hurst (sports hernia) to participate in individual drills at OTAs on Friday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined for the start of Carolina's voluntary offseason workouts after he underwent offseason surgery for a sports hernia, but he's nearing his return to the field. Hurst agreed to a three-year contract with the Panthers in March and should have plenty of time to get back to full health before the start of training camp.
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Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Finds home in Carolina
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Hurst agreed Wednesday with the Panthers on a three-year contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Hurst proved to be a competent starter while with Cincinnati on a one-year deal in 2022, logging a 52-414-2 receiving line on 68 targets over 13 regular-season appearances. He now gets a chance to lead Carolina's tight end room, which also features complementary options Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble. All signs point to the Panthers grabbing a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, and the presence of a reliable tight end like Hurst should be helpful in developing whichever young signal-caller Carolina taps to direct the offense.
