4 Panthers players who could benefit from trade deadline inactivity

Ian Thomas – Carolina Panthers TE

The emergence of Tommy Tremble and Stephen Sullivan within the passing attack could mean a murky future for Ian Thomas. The tight end remains a quality blocker, but there appears to be something missing in terms of consistency after he was chosen as the man to replace Carolina Panthers legend Greg Olsen in 2020.

Thomas signed a new three-year deal earlier this offseason when there were plenty of teams reportedly looking to secure his services in free agency according to ESPN’s insider Jeremy Fowler. There doesn’t appear to be a real out until 2024 unless the Panthers trade him, which might have been considered if an offer came along.

That didn’t happen. Although there was one big tight end move when the Minnesota Vikings struck a deal with their NFC North rival Detroit Lions for T.J. Hockenson in the wake of yet another injury to Irv Smith Jr.

Carolina will now look for Thomas to step up despite some growing confidence in Tremble and Sullivan to make plays in key moments. The gauntlet has been laid down by the backup duo in no uncertain terms, so how the former fourth-round pick out of Indiana responds will be crucial to his long-term aspirations with the franchise.

It was a nervous time for Panthers fans and they were right to feel so apprehensive after Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey ended their respective spells in Carolina. Scott Fitterer and other influential figures obviously thought that was enough and considering the progress made under Steve Wilks so far, they have a solid foundation from which to build.