4 Panthers players who could get early contract extensions in 2022
By Dean Jones
Jeremy Chinn – Carolina Panthers S
The impact made by Jeremy Chinn during his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers cannot be understated. His energy and ability to be around the football consistently have been hugely impressive and trading up for the Southern Illinois product in 2020 was one of Marty Hurney’s best moves during his second stint in the role.
Chinn was unfortunate not to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and backed this up with another outstanding campaign at safety last time around. He has the athleticism to make a real difference at the second level or on the backend, which is something the Panthers sorely lacked before his arrival.
It appears as if Carolina is moving forward with Chinn in the secondary next season. Partnering with Xavier Woods has a tremendous amount of potential and gives defensive coordinator Phil Snow the option to utilize the 2020 second-round pick almost anywhere if he feels it will benefit the team in certain situations.
Should Chinn exceed what’s expected once again next season, then it might be worth the Panthers tying down the player ahead of time. This would provide him with a sense of security and could save some money in the process.
Chinn is a core player for the Panthers. Someone the team should be building around long-term.