5 under-the-radar QBs the Panthers could sign in 2021 free agency
By Dean Jones
Tyrod Taylor
- 2020 team – Los Angeles Chargers
To say Tyrod Taylor was luckless in 2020 would be something of an understatement. The quarterback was set to start for the Los Angeles Chargers before a procedure involving a team doctor resulted in a punctured lung and a spell on the sidelines after just one game and the rest is history.
Not only this, Taylor had to watch as his replacement – first-round pick Justin Herbert – break every rookie record in the books to cement himself as their long-term starter and condemn the veteran to another potential new landing spot in free agency.
Taylor could still have plenty to offer in the right environment. If the Carolina Panthers strike out on their main targets and are forced to go into OTAs with Teddy Bridgewater, then they’ll need someone who can push him all the way and maybe even remove him from the No. 1 spot.
The former Virginia Tech star has done well to carve out a career for himself after arriving in the NFL as a sixth-round pick.
Taylor’s ability to keep plays alive with high mobility has been a key component of his production, which came with a Pro Bowl selection during his time with the Buffalo Bills. Although the player’s decision-making has been questionable at times, this represents a low-risk, high upside pickup for the Panthers if they fail to secure any of their major options.