5 Panthers players who cannot start 2022 season on a sour note

Which Carolina Panthers players cannot afford to start what promises to be an eventful 2022 season on a sour note? 

Offseason workouts are in full swing and the Carolina Panthers are now putting the early pieces in place for what they hope will be a successful 2022 campaign. The stakes are obviously incredibly high for head coach Matt Rhule, who faced questions about his future during rookie minicamp after a report surfaced surrounding a bold bid for Sean Payton next year.

There is nothing Rhule can do about this speculation. And if the former Baylor man had won more games over his first two seasons in the role, there would be absolutely nothing to discuss.

Carolina’s schedule looks pretty challenging all things considered. Getting off to a fast start will be key, with plenty of games at Bank of America Stadium over the first six weeks.

Whether the Panthers can do this or not is another matter. Here are five players that cannot afford to start the 2022 season on a sour note.

Player No. 1

Tommy Tremble – Carolina Panthers TE

There was a lot to like about the flashes shown by Tommy Tremble as a rookie. The former third-round pick proved himself to be a capable blocker and athletic presence in the offensive scheme when called upon, but what comes next for the tight end will be of critical importance.

Tremble has some work to do in pass-catching consistency. Improving his route tree is something else that could result in more targets in Ben McAdoo’s system, which relies heavily on tight-end production based on history.

An opportunity awaits Tremble if he can put it all together. But the Notre Dame product has to develop significantly or get left behind.