Carolina Panthers: 30 greatest players in franchise history
Wow. It took until No. 14 to finally get to a running back. That seems a bit odd. Then again, it’s not like the Panthers have had a never-ending stream of top-tier running backs to brag about.
Either way, Jonathan Stewart seems like the perfect fit for the No. 14 slot. He was never going to be an elite runner and he isn’t headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his consistent, dependable production for the Carolina running game made him a valuable asset for over a decade.
When he departed from the Panthers in 2017, Stewart held the franchise record for career rushing yards. Although he only broke the 1,000-yard mark once during his 10 seasons in Charlotte, his reliable presence in the backfield perfectly complimented the talents of DeAngelo Williams, who spent seven seasons serving with Stewart as the Panthers’ two-headed rushing attack.
Who knows what could have been had Williams not been in the picture? Regardless, the stats Stewart produced and big plays he made as the hard-nosed runner in the Carolina backfield was more than the franchise could have asked for.