5 greatest Panthers to never make an NFC Championship game
By Dean Jones
Greg Hardy – Former Carolina Panthers DE
- 2010-2014
Greg Hardy’s time with the Carolina Panthers ended on an extremely sour note.
But it’s easy to forget he was arguably the NFL’s most dominant pass-rusher once upon a time.
The sixth-round pick out of Ole Miss made a notable impression on a rotational role as a rookie in 2010, building on this with another promising campaign the following year.
If Hardy’s production was encouraging up to then, what came next was beyond anybody’s wildest dreams.
Year 3 is when players tend to make the biggest strides. Hardy was absolutely sensational over the next two seasons, recording 11 sacks in 2012 and boosting the number even further in 2013 with 15 quarterback takedowns to earn a Pro Bowl selection – the only one of his career.
Hardy looked to be the next great Panthers edge rusher. But time in jail and a league suspension for domestic battery meant he’d turn out just one more time for the franchise before they decided the gifted player was not worth the trouble.
He was given another chance on the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 – notching six sacks – but some appalling images regarding another battery incident meant another release and the league blackmarking him.
And with good reason.
Hardy is now trying to make it as a mixed martial artist and has enjoyed some UFC success over the last year. He finished his career on the Panthers with 34 sacks, 69 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss, 203 tackles, and seven forced fumbles.
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More importantly, Hardy also departed with the biggest feeling of remorse and regret considering the exceptional talent he portrayed over a two-year stretch.