Speedy Former Viking Signs with Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are going nowhere fast, but that doesn’t mean they’re done with roster maintenance.
Speedy Former Viking Signs with Panthers
Carolina added wide receiver and special teams ace Dan Chisena, a former Minnesota Vikings speedster, to its practice squad on Wednesday.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted, “Panthers designated rookie running back Jonathon Brooks to return from the non-football injury list and safety Sam Franklin Jr. and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy to return from injured reserve, signed Dan Chisena to practice squad.”
These are the Panthers wide receivers with the Chisena addition:
- Diontae Johnson
- Xavier Legette
- Adam Thielen (IR)
- Jonathan Mingo
- David Moore
- Jalen Coker
- Praise Olatoke (Practice Squad)
- Deven Thompkins (Practice Squad)
- Dan Chisena (Practice Squad)
And here’s Chisena’s NFL resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2020–2022)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2023)
- Arizona Cardinals (2023)
- Baltimore Ravens (2023)
- Arizona Cardinals (2024)
- Carolina Panthers (2024–present)
The Penn State alumnus is one of the NFL’s fastest players and uses that trait to carve out special teams’ niches with football teams. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2023, lasted about seven months, and fired up a Vikings reunion in October 2023. Minnesota welcomed Chisena via undrafted free agency in April 2020. Chisena played in all 12 of the Nittany Lions games as a senior and caught three passes for 66 yards. With the Vikings, Chisena was renowned for special teams.
When Mike Zimmer ran the Vikings, Chisena experienced playing time in 25 games, including 471 snaps on special teams, with 11 offensive plays. In 2022 with Kevin O’Connell in charge, though, Chisena’s special teams role was clearly diminished, seeing action on just 24 plays early in the season in games against the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders. After that activation from the practice squad, that was it for Chisena on the 2022 active roster.
The former Nittany Lion is known for speed, speed, and more speed, recording a 4.32 forty-yard dash during the buildup to the 2020 NFL Draft. He was teammates with Saquon Barkley, Mike Gesicki, Micah Parsons, and Miles Sanders at Penn State.
Baltimore added Chisena last January, outfitting its roster with a handful of former Vikings, including Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Former Vikings defensive tackle Michael Pierce also plays for the Ravens. But Baltimore’s season was cut short in the 2023 AFC title game when Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs upset Chisena’s pals at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Ravens represented Chisena’s fourth NFL team this 2023 alone, spending time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vikings, and Cardinals.
Per DVOA, the Panthers have a 4% chance of reaching the postseason.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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