2025 Season Opener Countdown: 85 Days To Go

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

The wait for the start of the Carolina Panthers season is down to just 85 days. As we approach that grand occasion, we celebrate the players wearing those numbers. Today’s number, 85, is sported by rookie tight end James Mitchell.

“The Governor,” as he’s apparently known, spent four years at Virginia Tech, though he only got significant playing time in the middle two seasons thanks to a season ending injury at the beginning of his senior year. He caught 52 balls for 838 yards and eight touchdowns during his college career.

He was selected in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions in 2022 but never found his footing there. His playing time diminished from year one to year two and he was relegated to the practice squad for his third season. He was picked up by the Panthers in January of this year after the Lions let his contract lapse.

Mitchell is going to have a tough battle to make the roster. Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and rookie Mitchell Evans are virtual locks to make the roster. A fourth tight end is going to have to provide special teams value, and to Mitchell’s credit, he does have experience there from his time with the Lions. That’s going to be his path to making the roster barring injury.