Boy, Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer wasn’t kidding when he said he’d look to the XFL in filling out his team’s minicamp roster, huh?
As announced on Wednesday night, the Panthers have extended an invite to St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Gary Jennings. He is the sixth player from the XFL who has garnered interest from Carolina—joining fellow wideout Austin Proehl, tight end Jordan Thomas, offensive tackle Derrick Kelly, center Dohnovan West and linebacker Ayinde Eley.
Jennings, not so coincidentally, has ties to Fitterer—who was in the front office for the Seattle Seahawks when they drafted the West Virginia University product in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. The 6-foot-1, 219-pound pass catcher has appeared in just one NFL game, which came later in that 2019 campaign with the Miami Dolphins.
Following stops with five more teams—the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs—Jennings moved on to the XFL, where he was selected in the eighth round of their 2022 draft. He reeled in 11 receptions for 149 yards and three touchdowns over eight games for the Battlehawks.