5 former QBs the Carolina Panthers struggled to win with

Jimmy Clausen – Former Carolina Panthers QB

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s unrivaled belief in Jimmy Clausen saw the respected figure declare he would walk away from his job if the prospect did not become a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL.

Neither of those things happened.

Clausen was seen as a calculated risk by the Carolina Panthers at No. 48 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. The former Notre Dame stud had some likable traits that could be developed, but the organization needed someone that could help them immediately and it was a task he simply wasn’t able to manage.

His time under center was nothing short of disastrous. Clausen was like a rabbit in the headlights for the majority of his starting reps, attaining just one win and nine losses en route to the Panthers getting the No. 1 overall selection the following year.

As luck would have it, this was one of the best things to ever happen. It allowed the team to take national champion and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, who revolutionized the franchise on and off the field to become one of the team’s greatest-ever players.

Clausen was shipped out the very same offseason, spending time with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens with little in the way of success. He was officially out of the league following the 2015 campaign – the year that Newton became the face of the league and reigning MVP.