The Carolina Panthers gave Ian Thomas several opportunities to firmly establish himself as Pro Bowler Greg Olsen's long-term successor in the tight end room after he departed for the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. These chances officially ran out this offseason.
Thomas was a pending free agent and once again finished the campaign on injured reserve. The Panthers weren't willing to make him another offer, which was the right call after he's done nothing but flatter to deceive after displaying rookie promise in 2018.
Turns out Thomas wasn't out of work for long. The former fourth-round pick signed a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in pursuit of galvanizing his career. He'll have a familiar face in the desert, with resurgent former Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn also joining the AFC West club this offseason after one campaign on the Washington Commanders.
This development came with jubilation among Carolina's fanbase. Most thought the Indiana graduate would be moved on after his rookie contract with little fanfare attached. Those in power at the time had other ideas, penning Thomas to a pretty decent contract that his production simply didn't warrant at the time.
Carolina Panthers letting Ian Thomas walk in free agency was the right call
The same trend continued, only Thomas had a bigger paycheck to justify this time around. He flashed promise as a blocker but became non-existent in the passing game. His regression from a route technician standpoint was disappointing. Injuries and two pay cuts later, the Panthers had no option other than to go in a different direction.
Thomas was well-liked in the locker room, but that doesn't win football games. Dan Morgan is running the Panthers with more professionalism and purpose these days. The juice was no longer worth the squeeze in this case. That's the bottom line.
Tommy Tremble got a new deal, which maintains some semblance of continuity. He's a more athletic pass-catcher who displays violent blocking tendencies. If this became a choice between the Notre Dame product and Thomas, it was an easy one to make.
Carolina has high hopes for Ja'Tavion Sanders after the promising pass-catcher displayed rookie promise. Jordan Matthews is getting another shot to earn his roster spot over the summer, but it would be a huge shock if the Panthers didn't add another prolific tight end from the college ranks with one of their nine selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
As for Thomas? He'll be aiming to capitalize on a fresh start that's been a long time coming where Carolina's long-suffering support is concerned. Things looked incredibly promising for the player after filling in for the injured Olsen during his first NFL season. However, it was a constant stream of failures and almost constant regression after that.
The Panthers have no room for passengers if they want to enter the NFC South championship picture next season. Thomas didn't serve much purpose with Tremble sticking around, bringing a sad end to a once-promising career in Carolina.
Not many fans will be shedding tears about that.