Right before making more waves throughout their roster on Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers added to it—acquiring wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsette in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, what could this deal tell us about the team going forward?
Well, for starters, let’s take a quick dive into what the speedy 6-foot-1, 185-pounder can do.
From his standout college career at the University of Iowa to his stellar 2023 preseason for Kansas City, Smith-Marsette has proven to be a home-run hitter—or at least a hunter for extra bases. Yeah, yeah—it’s the wrong sport, but it’s hard not to notice what he can do to a field.
Smith-Marsette reeled in 110 passes for 1,615 yards as a Hawkeye, good enough for a juicy average of 14.7 yards per catch. He’d do some similar stretching this summer, finishing as the NFL’s second-leading receiver in exhibition play with 195 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine completions.
Here he is taking chunks off the gridiron for the Chiefs over the past few weeks, where he averaged a ridiculous 21.7 yards a grab:
#Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert connects with WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette for a 44-yard gain. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/xmTAcXTlfF
— Devon Clements (@DevclemNFL) August 20, 2023
#Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert finds WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette for a 30-yard gain on 3rd & 9. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/NJfuRpX35K
— Devon Clements (@DevclemNFL) August 26, 2023
Shortly after his 30-yard gain, #Chiefs WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette catches another pass near the sideline for 28 yards.
ISM is fighting for a roster spot today. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/GTUmKwigo1
— Devon Clements (@DevclemNFL) August 26, 2023
Blaine Gabbert to Ihmir Smith-Marsette for the 43-yard TD!
📺: #CLEvsKC on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/624TrfDUF6 pic.twitter.com/nUzHN7reuO— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2023
He’s also a proven threat on special teams. During his time in Iowa City, Smith-Marsette—the 2018 Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year—fielded a total of 53 kickoffs for 1,520 yards (28.7 yards per return) and two scores.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette gets loose again! @HawkeyeFootball answers a pick six with a 96-yard TD return on the ensuing kickoff: pic.twitter.com/XarX2Y4kAM
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 29, 2019
Ihmir Smith-Marsette kick return for a touchdown pic.twitter.com/nFsgsKlLoq
— Hawkeye Football Fan (@HawkeyeFanHQ) December 30, 2019
So, now that the Panthers have added a receiver who can stretch the field on offense and bring some electric value on special teams, what does that mean for the team’s immediate future?
As far as today’s final cuts go, this arrival could mean the departure for a few wideouts who are on the bubble. 2021 sixth-round pick Shi Smith, who has a similar skill set to that of Smith-Marsette, may be the most notable man on notice.
The deal could also signal some uncertainty about the overall health of the room. DJ Chark, the team’s top vertical threat, is currently dealing with a hamstring injury—one that we don’t have much information on at the moment. Terrace Marshall Jr. (back) and Laviska Shenault Jr. (concussion) have been on the mend as well.
We’ll see what the rest of the day brings us, but general manager Scott Fitterer and company have started it with a tiny bang.
