8 players who belong in the Carolina Panthers Hall of Shame
By Dean Jones
Jimmy Clausen – Former Carolina Panthers QB
- 2010-2012
Jimmy Clausen will go down in infamy. The quarterback was a second-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2010 at No. 48 overall, with ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. famously stating that he’d retire from the business if the Notre Dame product didn’t end up being a sure-fire hit in the NFL.
Something he’d later come to regret.
Clausen was thrown in at the deep end as a rookie and suffered some severe complications. The rookie endured some unbelievable struggles under center, completing just 52.5 percent of his passes for 1,558 passing yards, three touchdowns, and nine interceptions from 10 career starts.
More importantly, he was 1-9 in terms of record, which ended up being one of the best things to ever happen to the organization.
This presented Carolina with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. They picked Auburn signal-caller Cam Newton following his Heisman Trophy win and national championship success.
And the rest is history.
Newton took the league by storm and propelled the Panthers into the national spotlight. Leaving Clausen on the outside looking in and relegated to the bench.
Clausen spent just one more season on the team before he was cut. Short spells with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens followed, but the player hasn’t been seen in the league since 2015.
Not exactly what the Panthers or Kiper expected.