CHARLOTTE — Xavier Legette has no excuses, refusing to create a narrative around his hurt left wrist—even though it will require surgery after the season—because it wasn't a factor in the drop last week against the Eagles. He has no patience for any encouraging messages, as well-meaning as his aunt and brother may be, because they don't change the past. And frankly, he has no grace for himself, because he feels it's unfounded, offering absolution for something still worthy of penance.

"Never no grace," Legette said Thursday in response to the idea. "It ain't never no grace that I'm going to—I mean, I've been playing football for a long time. I had plays, I have been in positions where I did it before. I took it the same way."

That way amounts to a week of self-discipline. It started as soon as Sunday's game against the Eagles—a 22-16 loss that culminated with a would-be game winning pass to Legette hitting the ground when the rookie didn't secure the ball through the catch—was over and the rookie made his way back to the locker room.

At the time, he still thought he'd caught the ball and been hosed on the call. As soon as he saw the play though, he realized he'd never had it. So, he screen-recorded the play and cancelled his plans to attend the Rod Wave concert back in Charlotte that night.

"That was over with. I canceled that," Legette shared. Asked if it was a hard decision, he responded quickly, "No. My craft is what I want to do best and perfect that."

He's spent this week intently focused on doing just that. He's pulled the screen recording up on his phone throughout the week, even when he's at home, done for the day, watching it over to pinpoint exactly where he went wrong. He's let his team deal with social media but acknowledges the narrative and yelling can't ever truly be ignored.

"It's still going to be notification buzzing my phone. I mean, it's a whole lot," Legette said. "I mean, they right though, I need to make them plays, but at the same time it happens to the best of us. It is what it is."

Perhaps most importantly, he's spent every day this week staying after practice, running extra routes with Bryce Young as he often does, but then staying a bit longer, working on the jugs machine with Chuba Hubbard, Tommy Tremble and Mike Jackson.

"I just getting back to the basic. It's the little things," Legette said as to the reason.

It's also repaying the confidence his teammates have in the first-round pick.

Young has thrown his weight and support behind Legette all week, promising to believe in the receiver that has brought in 39 receptions for 432 yards and four touchdowns this season, including a crucial third-down conversion earlier in the final drive on Sunday, keeping the comeback hopes alive.

"X is someone who, he's a competitor, which is something I respect so much," Young said Wednesday. "Just that he wants to be perfect, he wants to do everything. I think we all have that and that's something that you just, you love to see someone who cares, and that's something you could tell. He loves the game. He respects the game."

And Legette wants to honor that trust.

"Bryce a great dude, man. Good dude to be around," bragged Legette. "Everybody seem to wrap their arms around me since when I first came in. So, I just want to show them I want to be a great player. They understand. I want to be a great player. So, we just got to continue to work."

That work will last through the rest of the schedule. The Panthers have four more games in the regular season. After the conclusion of his rookie year, Legette plans to get surgery on his wrist. The injury—which Legette said is with the ligaments – stems from 2021 while in college, but he never had it surgically addressed. It was aggravated versus the Saints in Week 9. Legette maintains though it had nothing to do with Sunday's drop or any others, because it's not so bad that he has to protect it.

The only thing he has to do? Move past it. That starts Sunday.

"Really and truly I ain't liking the way I been playing. I've been leaving plays out there. And they've been big moment plays," Legette admitted.

"(The wrist) ain't no excuse, man, it ain't no excuse. Just got to play better. I ain't looking for the sympathy. I know what I got to do and what I need to do."