Finds home in Carolina

Hurst agreed Wednesday with the Panthers on a three-year contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Hurst proved to be a competent starter while with Cincinnati on a one-year deal in 2022, logging a 52-414-2 receiving line on 68 targets over 13 regular-season appearances. He now gets a chance to lead Carolina's tight end room, which also features complementary options Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble. All signs point to the Panthers grabbing a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, and the presence of a reliable tight end like Hurst should be helpful in developing whichever young signal-caller Carolina taps to direct the offense.