4 Carolina Panthers players not pulling their weight in 2022
By Dean Jones
Rashard Higgins – Carolina Panthers WR
There was a quiet sense of enthusiasm surrounding what Rashard Higgins could bring to the Carolina Panthers in 2022. The wide receiver has quality production on his resume during his time with the Cleveland Browns and reuniting with Baker Mayfield was something else expected to work in the player’s favor for good measure.
Higgins caught the eye in training camp with some dazzling catches and charisma. However, this hasn’t transitioned to a competitive environment with opportunities scarce for the Colorado State product.
The former fifth-round selection has been active just three times. Higgins has nine snaps on offense to speak of and three on special teams, which is nothing short of a letdown whichever way one looks at it.
Even after the Panthers traded Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals, Higgins has been on the outside looking in. Nobody was expecting the wideout to be the second coming of Steve Smith, but there was an opportunity for him to become a key rotational piece given the lack of consistency around D.J. Moore.
Thankfully, the Panthers didn’t give Higgins anything more than a one-year deal in free agency. So the chances of keeping the player around beyond the current campaign are slim at best.