3 key departures the Carolina Panthers missed most in 2022
By Dean Jones
Which departures did the Carolina Panthers end up missing the most during another eventful 2022 season?
Every year comes with regret where NFL franchises are concerned. Something they could have done better on the field, signings that didn’t work out, or players that moved on to achieve considerable success elsewhere.
The Carolina Panthers are not exempt from this. In fact, the primary regret held by the organization is keeping head coach Matt Rhule around for as long as they did.
Rhule’s absolute power and final say on personnel moves held the Panthers back. Even though it’s no longer an issue, the scars are still felt and might take some time to heal unless Frank Reich oversees a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.
With this in mind, here are three key departures that the Panthers missed most in 2022.
Player No. 1
Cam Newton – Former Carolina Panthers QB
We’ll keep this short due to its contentious nature and how divided it makes the fanbase. But after another campaign littered with quarterback inconsistency, Cam Newton‘s presence was missed off the field if nothing else.
Newton came back for a brief period and couldn’t overcome difficult circumstances in 2021. The chances of Rhule bringing him back were non-existent – especially after the signal-caller saw right through his suspect methods and spoke publicly about not everyone buying in.
This sentiment has been echoed by current and ex-players since Rhule was mercifully removed. That didn’t help Newton, who couldn’t find the right fit anywhere in 2022 and it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll ever see an NFL field again.