4 desperate moves the Panthers might make after Deshaun Watson decision

What desperate moves could the Carolina Panthers now make after Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson ruled them out of the running?

After a relentless pursuit than spanned more than 400 days, Deshaun Watson’s representatives have now officially informed the Carolina Panthers they are out of the running. This leaves the organization back to square one in pursuit of finding a franchise quarterback and team owner David Tepper now has to face the embarrassment of missing out on his primary target under center to an NFC South rival.

This is the worst possible outcome for the Panthers. Not only do they look bad for standing firm with their interest in Watson despite the sexual misconduct allegations, but they will now have to face him twice a season for the next decade with either the Atlanta Falcons or New Orleans Saints.

There is an exceptional amount of pressure on Carolina to start trending in the right direction. But with Tom Brady also coming back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the shortest stint in retirement, one could make a strong case Matt Rhule’s men are now the worst team in the division if Watson chooses Atlanta.

It appears highly unlikely that the Panthers will move forward with Sam Darnold as their signal-caller in 2022. His trade from the New York Jets was a complete disaster and further proof that there has been a serious issue regarding pro player evaluation at the most important position on the field.

Without further ado, here are four desperate moves the Panthers could make in the coming days now that their trade attempts for Watson have blown up in their face.