3 concerning Carolina Panthers rumors heading into 2023 free agency

Carolina Panthers are out on Lamar Jackson

This is less of a rumor and more like every NFL owner standing their ground. No sooner had the Baltimore Ravens slapped the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, multiple teams that are in desperate need of quarterback help ruled themselves out of the running – almost in unison looking back at Tuesday’s events.

Jackson is an elite signal-caller, an All-Pro that has an NFL MVP to his name after just five seasons. There are slight concerns about injury and the contract will be astronomical, but two first-round picks are an absolute steal for someone so gifted.

General manager Scott Fitterer said he’d be “in on every deal”. However, it appears as if the front office figure isn’t willing to risk it all for Jackson.

Maybe they’ve got a trade-up in the works during the 2023 NFL Draft. Even so, this is still a relative shot into the unknown whereas Jackson is a sure thing.

This whole situation stinks, in all honesty. Teams are using Jackson to send a message that the contract received by Deshaun Watson from the Cleveland Browns won’t be the common practice – despite the league getting more money than ever from TV and streaming deals as the sport grows exponentially around the globe.

David Tepper was one of the owners extremely reluctant to give Watson what he wanted. Therefore, the Panthers’ stance on Jackson shouldn’t come as a shock – no matter how disappointing it might be.