4 must-watch reunion games on Panthers schedule in 2020
By Dean Jones
Trai Turner & Russell Okung – Week 3 (Los Angeles Chargers)
It won’t be long into the 2020 season before one of the most eye-catching trades of the offseason will be scrutinized. The Panthers schedule sees them travel to the Los Angeles Chargers in week three for a reunion with former Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner.
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A cornerstone of the offensive line for so long, Turner was moved on to the Chargers in exchange for veteran left tackle Russell Okung during free agency. This appears one of the more bizarre decisions the Panthers have made under new head coach Matt Rhule and it was ranked one of the NFL’s worst offseason moves.
The franchise might have been looking at the bigger picture when making this particular move. Okung is in the last year of his deal and if he is not brought back then it frees up $13 million in 2021 to spend in free agency.
That being said, Turner has been a productive presence on an offensive line that went through its fair share of struggles last season. He will now look to ease the Chargers through a period of transition after Philip Rivers ended a prolific spell with the franchise by joining the Indianapolis Colts.
As fate would have it, the Panthers schedule sees a swift reunion with Turner, who will be keen to show his former team what they are missing. The same applies to Okung after not playing too much in 2019 thanks to some niggling injuries.