We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!
In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 39 for the Carolina Panthers.
Current Player: Emani Bailey, Tre Swilling
The Panthers actually have two player who wear 39 and no one who currently wears 38, so today will focus on Bailey and tomorrow will focus on Swilling. Bailey (5’7”, 207 lbs) started his collegiate career as a true freshman at Louisiana University. After entering the transfer portal, he landed with TCU. He spent his first season with the Horned Frogs as a backup, but took over starting duties in 2023. Bailey rushed for over 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging just over 100 yards per game.
Bailey went undrafted following the 2024 NFL Draft, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was waived and added to practice squad before the season started. The Chiefs released Bailey in November, and he was added to the Panthers practice squad the following month. In January, Bailey signed a reserve/futures contract with the Panthers to extend his stay in Charlotte for a little longer. With the runningback room suddenly crowded with the additions of Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne, Bailey’s best case scenario appears to be another stint on the practice squad if he is to stay with the Panthers.
Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 39: Reggie Bonnafon, Damien Richardson, Brett Maxie
Slim pickings at the number 39 spot in Panthers history. Reggie Bonnafon was the most recent player to don the number who had any sort of on-field impact. He spent three seasons with the Panthers and only toted the rock less than thirty times with only ten catches in that span as well. Richardson was a defensive back for the Panthers in the late 90s and early 2000s. He did have seven starts at strong safety in 1998, but his production was nothing to write home about. Maxie was the first Panther to ever wear 39. He was a starting safety for the Panthers in their first two years of existence, notably snagging six interceptions in the 1995 inaugural season.