Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette had an unusual week at training camp. The third-year NFL player recently revealed that he had sharply reduced raccoon from his diet while also losing 12 pounds ahead of the 2026 season.

Days later, Legette was carted off the practice field after suffering a stinger during a hard fall.

Legette went down Tuesday while attempting to make a catch in the corner of the end zone. According to ESPN, he landed hard on the back of his head. Trainers quickly attended to him, and Legette was seen moving his fingers before leaving the field on a cart.

Panthers coach Dave Canales later confirmed that doctors evaluated Legette and cleared him of a concussion. The initial diagnosis was a stinger, which commonly affects the nerves around the neck, shoulder, and arm.

“Went down really hard,” Canales told reporters. “Went in, evaluated him, cleared him of a concussion, but it looks like a stinger. We're going to evaluate him more over the next day or so and just make sure that he's in the right spot.”

A stinger can cause temporary burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the affected arm. Contact-sport athletes often experience them, and many cases improve quickly. Some symptoms, however, can continue for weeks or even months.

Canales said Legette had “a nice little window” to recover over the following days. As a result, he was not expected to play in Carolina’s preseason opener, the Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals in Canton, Ohio.

A Familiar Diet Story

Instagram | panthers.turn | Panthers WR Xavier Legette suffered a neck stinger after landing hard on a catch attempt.

Legette’s injury came shortly after he discussed another unexpected part of his preparation: his diet.

The Panthers receiver has become well known for eating raccoon. In 2024, he discussed the unusual food during a podcast appearance with NFL star Amon-Ra St. Brown.

“I hunt it, I kill it, skin it, cook it and eat it. It's got its own taste,” Legette said at the time.

Raccoon is not a common food in most parts of the United States, although it was historically eaten in parts of the American South. Legette, who was born and raised in the region, has even encouraged teammates to try it.

His unusual food choice later became part of Panthers fan culture. During the 2025 season, the team introduced “The Masked Bandit” menu item at Bank of America Stadium, inspired by Legette’s well-known preference.

Why He Cut Back

Legette told Panthers beat writer Sheena Quick that his diet has changed significantly before the 2026 season. He has lost 12 pounds and now focuses more on lean meats and vegetables.

“I only eat lean meats now, I used to eat a lot of junk food,” he told Quick.

He also listed broccoli, asparagus, and carrots among the foods he now eats. Peppers and onions remain off his menu.

Raccoon has not disappeared completely, though. Legette said he has “minimized” it and now plans to eat it only once a year, around Thanksgiving.

When asked whether raccoon qualifies as lean meat, Legette offered a blunt answer: “I don't know what that is, it's a rodent for real. It ain't lean, but it ain't bad for me.”

Legette’s Role

Instagram | gamecockfb | After suffering a stinger, Xavier Legette is pausing his push for WR3 to concentrate on full recovery.

Before the injury, Legette was expected to compete for Carolina’s No. 3 receiver position behind Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Panthers will now monitor his recovery before determining when he can return to full practice. For Legette, the immediate priority is recovering from the stinger and preparing for the regular season.

Legette’s training camp setback adds an unexpected chapter to an offseason that already included major changes to his diet and a 12-pound weight loss. The Panthers have confirmed that he avoided a concussion, while his stinger will receive additional evaluation in the coming days.

His raccoon habit may have made headlines, but his focus has shifted toward a more structured diet as he prepares for another NFL season. The next few days should provide a clearer picture of when the young receiver can return to the field.