4 Panthers players who could leave in 2021 at midseason point

Tahir Whitehead – Carolina Panthers LB

Tahir Whitehead‘s time with the Carolina Panthers has been nothing short of a disaster. The linebacker faces the unenviable task of filling the void left by Luke Kuechly following his shock retirement and it’s fair to say the move hasn’t exactly worked out as all parties hoped.

Whitehead did have a previous relationship with head coach Matt Rhule from their time together in college. This left some hope that the former Las Vegas Raider could become a solid short-term option while Carolina figures out which way they should go looking at the bigger picture.

Sadly both for the player and the Panthers, Whitehead has struggled significantly.

His inability to make the sort of impact in coverage has been there for all to see during his career and hasn’t changed in Carolina. But it is his lack of production in run support at the second level that has been even more glaring.

This has ensured the Panthers have missed Kuechly’s electrifying presence at the heart of the defense more than they ever thought possible. The decision-makers will undoubtedly make this one of their top priorities in 2021 and Whitehead can have no complaints when he is let go once the season concludes.

What further proof of just how poor he’s been? Then look no further than his current grading by Pro Football Focus, who place Whitehead not only as one of the league’s worst linebackers but among the worst players in the NFL at 29.2.