Dave Canales and his coaching staff have plenty to sort through in the weeks leading up to training camp. And one Carolina Panthers insider believes there is an early front-runner in one of the most important position battles still undecided.
The Panthers are preaching the importance of competition this offseason. Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis strengthened depth considerably. That should keep everyone on their toes with higher stakes attached, and those who perform well will be rewarded accordingly.
Carolina's off-season program was the first step. It wasn't the most important part of the process, but it represented an early chance to stake a claim. And the last thing any hopeful on the roster bubble needs is to be playing catch-up when things get more intense.
Carolina Panthers insider places Ryan Fitzgerald in pole position for kicking spot
All eyes were on the kicking competition between veteran journeyman Matthew Wright and undrafted free-agent Ryan Fitzgerald. Canales said the race to the No. 1 job was too close to call right now. However, Joe Person from The Athletic believes the rookie is in the driver's seat based on initial impressions.
"[Dave] Canales said it’s too soon to name a leader in the kicking competition. But [Ryan] Fitzgerald, an undrafted free agent from Florida State, appears to have the edge on veteran Matthew Wright, based on how each looked during the practices open to the media. There’s no reason not to let this play out through the first couple of preseason games. But the early returns favor Fitzgerald."Joe Person
Fitzgerald got over a rocky start to impose himself at Carolina's mandatory minicamp. Wright was less impressive, but it seems like the Panthers will let things play out into the preseason before making the final call.
In an ideal world, Fitzgerald will continue to impress en route to becoming the team's long-term kicker. He's got a big chip on his shoulder after failing to hear his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft. This represented a tremendous landing spot — one that could provide him with a chance to start right out of the gate if the same trend continues.
Wright won't be throwing in the towel. He won't have many more chances to extend his professional career, so nothing but tremendous resolve will do. Everything is out of his hands after that.
Fitzgerald might have the upper hand for now. But this is not over by any stretch of the imagination.