5 best free agent signings in Carolina Panthers history
By Jason Huber
Jake Delhomme – Former Carolina Panthers QB
Before Cam Newton, there was Jake Delhomme at quarterback who led the Carolina Panthers all the way to the Super Bowl.
Delhomme was never expected to be a relevant quarterback in the NFL and actually found himself playing Europe in 1998. He worked his way back into the league and signed with the Panthers in 2003, just a year removed from a 1-15 season, while Rodney Peete was the team’s starting signal-caller.
Then, in the 2003 season-opener, Delhomme took over at halftime and the rest is history. He led Carolina to an 11-5 record and guided them to the Super Bowl before falling to the New England Patriots.
Delhomme remained the team’s starting quarterback for six seasons and helped guide Carolina to the playoffs three of the years. He made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and was named to the team’s Hall of Honor in 2019.
Unfortunately, after signing a large five-year extension in 2009, things fell apart for Delhomme and he finished out his career as a journeyman.
But the signing of Delhomme ended up being a low-risk, high reward move and even though he wasn’t a Hall of Famer by any means, he helped put the franchise back on the map when it was at its lowest.
Honorable mentions: Kevin Greene, Eric Davis, Steve Beuerlein, Jeremy Shockey