5 Carolina Panthers players who cannot afford to regress in 2022

Robby Anderson – Carolina Panthers WR

One could argue that Robby Anderson regressed enough last season for some major red flags to emerge. Any further dip in production would not be worth the money allocated to the wide receiver in 2023.

The Carolina Panthers got a little more than they bargained for with Anderson, who became a threat all over the field in 2020 en route to the first 1,000-yard receiving campaign of his professional career. Things did not quite go according to plan for the Temple product last time out, with individual mistakes and a lack of chemistry with Sam Darnold resulting in a frustrating year from start to finish.

Anderson was the subject of trade speculation this offseason before the Panthers opted to keep him around and restructure the player’s contract. This means he will count $21.71 million against the cap in 2023 – which is major money for any position.

If things don’t start trending on an upward curve for Anderson, the Panthers can trade or cut the player to save themselves $12 million. Everyone is rooting for the wideout to get back on track, with his top-end speed something that is sure to be utilized heavily by new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.

A lot of Anderson’s fate will rest with whoever Carolina chooses as its starting quarterback. If that happens to be Darnold, then the receiver will just have to suck it up and make the best out of a bad situation.