Carolina Panthers: Examining the curious case of Ian Thomas
By Dean Jones
Taking a look at the curious case of Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas.
It was a bold move by the Carolina Panthers to part ways with Greg Olsen in free agency. The prolific veteran gave the franchise absolutely everything despite suffering his fair share of injury problems during his time with the organization. But a new regime with a different set of ideas saw the Pro Bowler on the outside looking in.
He wasn’t alone. The Carolina Panthers gutted their roster of prominent veteran leadership and although Olsen found a new home quickly with the Seattle Seahawks, another unfortunate injury has cut his campaign short.
One of the main reasons behind Carolina’s decision to move on from Olsen was their confidence in Ian Thomas. The former Indiana standout showed some real promise during his first two seasons in the NFL and the coaching staff gave him another boost by deciding not to bring in any reinforcements of note during the 2020 NFL Draft or the free agency period.
Sadly, things just haven’t worked out as all parties would have hoped.
Thomas has been a relative afterthought in the Panthers’ high-octane offense, which has cast some serious doubts over his future. Thomas has all the physical attributes needed to be a real asset. But he is running out of time to prove his worth to the organization.