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After choosing not to tender Ihmir Smith-Marsette at the start of 2024 NFL free agency, the Carolina Panthers are choosing to bring him back.
Smith-Marsette and the Panthers agreed to a one-year deal, ensuring the unrestricted free agent returns to Charlotte, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
"[This is] exactly where I want to be," Smith-Marsette wrote in a post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. "[I] love the fans and all the support."
Smith-Marsette arrived in Charlotte by a 2023 summer trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He quickly endeared himself to rookie quarterback Bryce Young, building chemistry throughout the season.
Exactly where I wanna be love the fans and all the support https://t.co/4Lsr0S2lZ8
— Ihmir Smith-Marsette (@_ihmirr_) March 13, 2024
The crowning moment of his 2023 campaign came when he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette takes one back against his former team #CARvsCHI on Prime Video
— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023
Also available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4MTENIL0r6
Smith-Marsette wanted to return to the Panthers because of his connection with Young. In January, he spoke of that connection that grew throughout the months.
"I want to be here because first of all, the impact Bryce has on the game, the talent you see, the flashes he showed, it's like, you don't really get that a lot of places," Smith-Marsette shared in early January via Panthers.com. "So, it's a lot of moving parts with quarterback play and stuff like that. That's the capabilities he has, and I just want to be a part of that. I feel like I connect with him on the field. He sees what I see. I see what he sees. And it's just like, we always seem to hit."
After the Panthers didn't tender Smith-Marsette, it looked like his time with the team was over.
Dan Morgan made sure, however, to bring the wide receiver back.
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