4 most disappointing Carolina Panthers in Week 1 win vs. NY Jets

Dan Arnold – Carolina Panthers TE

One expected Joe Brady to deploy his tight ends more efficiently after two major acquisitions in free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft. Although that might still be the case in the weeks to come, production from this particular positional group was once again lacking and a relative afterthought with the other weapons available.

Dan Arnold’s arrival from the Arizona Cardinals in free agency came with some upside. He was familiar with Brady from their time together on the New Orleans Saints and also produced some career numbers in 2020 for good measure.

Couple this with some eye-catching chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold throughout training camp and it’s not hard to see why hopes were so high.

This didn’t transition onto the field in a competitive setting. At least not in Week 1.

Arnold finished the game with just two receptions for six receiving yards on three targets. Ian Thomas fared marginally better, generating one catch from two balls thrown his way for 17 yards.

Carolina relied on Christian McCaffrey for short to intermediate yards, with the do-it-all back accumulating 30 combined touches on his return to action.

This is a recipe for disaster no matter how great the All-Pro looked. Unless the Panthers figure out a way to get Arnold more involved, there was simply no point bringing him to the organization in the first place.