4 worst free-agent signings under Panthers GM Scott Fitterer
By Dean Jones
Rashard Higgins – Carolina Panthers WR
When the Carolina Panthers signed Rashard Higgins to a team-friendly deal in 2022, hopes were high. There was an opportunity for the wide receiver to earn prominent targets within a room that wasn’t blessed with much quality, which didn’t come to fruition.
Higgins was a standout performer during the team’s training camp to further raise optimism. The Panthers also acquired his former teammate Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns, which was another thing working in the player’s favor given their previous chemistry.
Despite all these positives, Higgns was never really given a look. There was an incident that Matt Rhule didn’t take kindly to that involved over-elaborate celebrations and reaching the ball over the goal line in Spartanburg – something the one-time Colorado State star just couldn’t recover from.
This signing has less to do with Scott Fitterer’s judgment and more with how Rhule treated grown men. Professional players were forced to work within a college structure, which was never going to end well.
Even when Rhule was fired and Robbie Anderson got traded to the Arizona Cardinals, Higgins saw almost no playing time. This was among the most bizarre occurrences during Carolina’s season in 2022, which is saying something.