4 offseason moves hurting the Panthers through Week 6
By Dean Jones
Signing Tahir Whitehead
Tahir Whitehead had the biggest of shoes to fill this season. The Carolina Panthers chose the veteran as the man to replace perennial All-Pro Luke Kuechly, who announced his shock retirement after eight glorious seasons with the franchise.
Sadly, it has not turned out as expected.
Whitehead has struggled considerably through six weeks of the 2020 season. Linebacker is fast becoming a real weak link for the Panthers outside of stud rookie Jeremy Chinn, who seems to be carrying the former Temple star and Shaq Thompson when it should probably be the other way around.
It won’t be long before Carolina goes in a different direction. Replacing someone who inspired the entire organization such as Kuechly is nearly impossible, But the Panthers need to find a better long-term solution to the one they are currently utilizing.
This might have been a cheap and viable option at the time, but it is one of the moves they’ve made in some time. Whitehead’s poor production and position has earned him an abysmal 27.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks him among the worst players not only at the position but in the entire NFL.
Whitehead is on borrowed time in Carolina, of that there is little doubt. Whether they make a move at the trade deadline or wait until next spring, this arrangement is only going to be a one-year deal before both sides go their separate ways.