4 veterans the Carolina Panthers were right to move on from in 2022
By Dean Jones
Jermaine Carter – Former Carolina Panthers LB
An opportunity of unimaginable proportions awaited Jermaine Carter in 2021. The linebacker was given a supreme vote of confidence by the Carolina Panthers, who named him the starter ahead of Denzel Perryman, who was shipped out to the Las Vegas Raiders and went on to make the Pro Bowl.
Carter had the chance to earn himself a lot of money in the final year of his deal. More importantly, this could have been the solution Carolina’s been looking for since Luke Kuechly announced his shock retirement after the 2019 season.
Sadly for Carter and the Panthers, nothing that was expected ever came to fruition. The former Maryland standout was inconsistent at best despite making 88 tackles, with his inability to find the correct run angles and a lack of consistency in coverage proving to be his downfall.
The Panthers moved on from Carter after signing Damien Wilson and Cory Littleton in free agency. Hopefully, this will have the desired effect during a critical Year 3 for head coach Matt Rhule.
What comes next for Carter is unclear. He recently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on a team-friendly deal, which lands him on a contender but might come with a role on the rotation rather than a starting berth.
Panthers fans will wish Carter all the very best, but a fresh start was probably the right call.