5 Carolina Panthers players who’ll outperform their pay grade in 2021
By Dean Jones
Haason Reddick – Carolina Panthers DE/OLB
- 2021 cap hit – $1.99 million
- 2022 cap hit – $4 million (void)
Acquiring Haason Reddick from the Arizona Cardinals could be a fantastic bit of business by the Carolina Panthers. The edge rusher is coming off the best season of his career in 2020 and reuniting with head coach Matt Rhule could propel the former first-round pick to even greater production moving forward.
Reddick is betting on himself to a certain extent in the coming months.
His 12.5-sack campaign came something out of the blue considering his numbers prior to the previous year, so the Panthers aren’t paying much to find out if this was a flash in the pan or the start of something better.
One thing is for sure, nobody knows how to get more out of Reddick than Rhule.
The duo formed a close bond during their time together at Temple. Working opposite Brian Burns on the defensive front should also leave plenty of room to make a significant difference next season.
Considering what the Panthers are paying Reddick, this could be a real bargain. But whether they can afford to keep the player around beyond this season is another matter entirely.
To get the best and keep them around, you have to pay. Reddick would fall into this category with another double-digit campaign, so it’s something to keep a close eye on just before free agency hits next spring.