4 Panthers players whose stock crashed beyond repair in 2022

Rashard Higgins – Carolina Panthers WR

Rashard Higgins was a player that was seen as an instant contributor when the wideout came over from the Cleveland Browns with Baker Mayfield. However, that was the furthest from what eventually happened.

Higgins was never expected to be a superstar with the Carolina Panthers. But the team at least hoped an existing connection with their new starting quarterback could prove useful in clutch situations.

Simply put, the wide receiver never saw the field long enough to have any sort of effect.

Even after the struggles and eventual release of Robbie Anderson, even with the curious benching of Terrace Marshal Jr., and even after the inconsistency of Shi Smith, Higgins only saw nine offensive snaps all season. Six of those came in one game and none of them included a target.

To say that this was disappointing is a gigantic understatement.

Thankfully with a changing of leadership, Marshall was given the chance to prove his worth and ran with that opportunity late in the season. But it still remains a mystery as to why Carolina never even looked Higgins’ way.

Carolina even traded for a largely effective Lavishka Shenault Jr. midseason instead of increasing the role of Higgins.

While anything can happen, the chances of Higgins somehow bouncing back from a year of non-usage is slim at best. Expect to see him bouncing around the fringes of the practice squad next season or even outside the league entirely.