Matt Corral deserves praise, not criticism, for speaking out on demons

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Corral
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Corral

Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral deserves praise, not criticism or scrutiny, for speaking out on his demons and helping others in times of trouble. 

Much has been made about the dramatic slide of Matt Corral and other quarterbacks during the 2022 NFL Draft. Even though this wasn’t considered to be the strongest class in recent memory, only Kenny Pickett was taken in the first round and the next one off the board ended up being Malik Willis at No. 86, who went to the Tennessee Titans.

The Carolina Panthers moved swiftly soon after, trading up to No. 94 for Corral in the hope he can become their franchise signal-caller with a little more development. This was a low-risk move that didn’t cost them anything more than a 2023 third-round selection and the reward could be high if the Ole Miss product reaches or exceeds expectations.

This provides some hope.

Something that was never really there with Sam Darnold after his impressive start turned sour pretty drastically.

According to multiple reports, Corral’s slide was down in no small part to some concerns teams had regarding off-the-field issues with alcohol and depression.

The player has not hidden from this and openly spoke out about the constant battle. This deserves nothing but praise and has undoubtedly helped more than a few people along the way.

Matt Corral deserves praise for his public discussions on mental health

Everyone makes mistakes.

Not many, and certainly with as much to lose as Corral, speak too much about them.

"“I’m not going to say that life’s easy every single day. It has its trials and tribulations. But having your vices, understanding yourself, (knowing) where you’re at mentally and how to prevent certain emotions and just being able to control them (has helped). Keep it under control, and keeping the main thing the main thing is keeping God first and understanding that it’s not about you.”"

Openly criticizing Corral for doing this is asinine. Especially considering what he’s done to redeem himself following some immature mistakes in high school and college.

This hasn’t exactly done much to remove the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. A tired, archaic take from NFL teams that quite frankly should know better by now.

Carolina seems confident that Corral can continue overcoming adversity. And having someone who’s been to the brink and come out on the other side smiling will command instant respect within the locker room.

It all worked out pretty well for the Panthers. This is also a fantastic fit for the prospect with a legitimate chance to start straight away depending on how things go throughout the upcoming 2022 preparation period.

Corral was probably all too aware of the potential consequences that could emerge from opening up about his problems. But if it could help just one person going through the same, then it has been worth it.

The ability is there. Providing Corral can learn and establish himself as the perfect fit for Ben McAdoo’s system, then those who made assumptions based on previous issues will be left with egg on their face.

Corral should not be vilified for his comments.

He should be commended beyond measure.

And if the Panthers end up benefitting from his drastic slide, then the better their chances will be.

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