The Carolina Panthers have spent years searching for stability at quarterback. Ironically, several failed signal-callers have found some of their best success after leaving Charlotte.
The latest example isn't in the NFL, but it's still yet another chapter in an increasingly strange trend. Jack Plummer was named the 2026 UFL MVP after a breakout season with the Orlando Storm.
Carolina signed Plummer as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 2024, as he spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad. Just a year later, the Panthers waived him, which seemed to be the end of his short story.
Jack Plummer shines as UFL MVP after Carolina Panthers departure
Instead, Plummer landed with Orlando and turned in one of the better statistical seasons the UFL has seen. He completed 195 of 300 attempts, setting a UFL record by throwing 255 straight passes without an interception as he finished with a league-leading 2,377 yards of total offense.Â
Storm head coach Anthony Becht didn't hold back afterward as he called it "one of the best seasons a quarterback in our league has ever had."
Plummer's situation is its own thing. But the broader shape of his story tracks with something Panthers fans have seen play out again and again.
Baker Mayfield's run in Carolina lasted half a season before he requested his release in December 2022. Fast forward to today, he is on the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he has made back-to-back Pro Bowls, won a pair of NFC South titles, and even picked up a playoff win.
Sam Darnold is another example. His time in Carolina ran two seasons and ended when his contract wasn't renewed after 2022. After a breakout 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings, he became the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, leading them to a Super Bowl.
This doesn’t mean the Panthers blew it by letting Plummer go. Rosters are crowded in August, and somebody on that bubble was always walking out the door. Still, if a team brings him in for a training camp arm or a practice squad look this summer, he'll have already proven he can do more with a clean season than most expected.Â
And given how the last two Panthers castoffs at the position turned out, betting against Plummer feels like a bad idea.
Add us as a preferred source on Google