One year ago, the Carolina Panthers had a critical competition for their starting kicker role between veteran Matthew Wright and undrafted free agent Ryan Fitzgerald. While it was close, they ultimately went with the undrafted rookie to continue a roster-wide youth movement.
Since then, kicker has been the least of the Panthers' worries.
This was one of many standouts from the team's 2025 rookie class that included the undrafted free agents like Fitzgerald, cornerback Corey Thornton, and linebacker Bam Martin-Scott. Comfortably, this is one of the best first-year impact classes the franchise has ever had.
Ryan Fitzgerald solved a problem the Carolina Panthers no longer have to worry about
What Fitzgerald did next was special, and it could lead him to becoming a top-tier kicker in the NFL.
With no competition this offseason, Fitzgerald now must maintain the consistency that the Panthers have not had in some time. Kicker has been an Achilles heel for the special teams unit in the past, with coordinator Tracy Smith happy that he no longer has that issue this summer.
Fitzgerald cannot become complacent as Carolina continues to build themselves into a winner. Last season, he made 24 of his 29 field goal attempts and converted 27 of 30 extra points, showcasing reliability at any point of the game, including crunch time or with the game on the line.
Making game-winners against the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Atlanta Falcons proved that Fitzgerald can come through in the clutch.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has competition of his own for the most clutch performer on the roster. He is the one who has allowed Fitzgerald to be placed in these situations and opportunities for game-winning kicks and to complete more game-ending drives. Not to mention that the second-year kicker can seamlessly nail 40-plus and 50-plus yard efforts when required.
It is a welcoming sight to see this type of kicker in Carolina, one that fans haven't seen since Graham Gano departed years ago. The Panthers had the Eddy Pineiro experience, which I witnessed first-hand in Atlanta following the P.J. Walker Hail Mary touchdown to D.J. Moore in 2022; Pineiro was what the team needed in those years, but they could've been much better.
Those days and experiences are gone for now. Fitzgerald is now one of the critical pieces to the Panthers special teams' success, especially on kickoffs, with where he lands the ball under the current kickoff rules. If the second-year placekicker maintains this level of play, he could quickly become one of the league's best legs.
It's great to have no issues on special teams, as stability and continuity are important for this faction. Fitzgerald will continue to grow and become a better player, reaching the point of joining Gano and John Kasey as Panthers' greats. Â
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