5 Carolina Panthers players who didn’t meet expectations in 2021
By Jason Huber
Jermaine Carter – Carolina Panthers LB
The Carolina Panthers still haven’t found their solidified replacement for Luke Kuechly at the middle linebacker spot and before the season, they had high confidence in Jermaine Carter to step up and fill that role.
In fact, the confidence was so high in Carter that Carolina traded away Denzel Perryman to the Las Vegas Raiders, who would go on to be named a Pro Bowler this year.
Carter ended up not meeting the expectations that were placed on him, looking average throughout the entire season. Not only did he have the confidence from the team but he also needed a big year before he enters free agency this offseason.
Statistically, Carter had a career year with 88 total tackles and three quarterback hits. But those numbers just aren’t serviceable for a starting inside linebacker and there was far more good than bad regarding his production this season.
At 27 years old, this was supposed to be a breakout year for Carter. But the Maryland product played very inconsistently throughout the season.
While the Panthers will likely go in a different direction if the right opportunity comes along this offseason, it’ll be interesting to see whether they retain Carter as a role player.