NFL Free Agency: Panthers agree to terms to re-sign Ihmir Smith-Marsette on one-year deal

The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms to re-sign receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It will mark his fourth NFL season and his second in Carolina.

Smith-Marsette served as a punt returner for the Panthers in 2023 and averaged 8.7 yards per return. He was one of only eight players to return a punt for a touchdown and ranked sixth in total return yards with 322. He also hauled in eight catches for 51 yards on offense.

Smith-Marsette played college football at Iowa before the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He caught the only two touchdowns of his career during his rookie season as he finished with five catches for 116 yards.

The Vikings placed Smith-Marsette on waivers prior to the 2022 season and he was picked up by the Chicago Bears. He appeared in six games before again being waived and later signing to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. He was still a member of the team when the Chiefs defeated Philadelphia to win Super Bowl LVII, earning a ring.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette returns to a Panthers receiving corps that recently added Diontae Johnson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carolina also returns two of its top three receivers from 2023 in Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo.

The Panthers also bolstered up their offensive line to provide more protection for Bryce Young after they allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL this past season. With these additions plus returners such as Smith-Marsett, they will hope to improve after finishing just 2-15 this past season.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline comes the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags.

The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match, that round’s pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return.

An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.