3 Panthers facing uncertain futures after early free-agent moves in 2023
By Dean Jones
Matt Corral - Carolina Panthers QB
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Matt Corral faces an uphill battle this offseason. The quarterback has to impress a coaching regime that wasn't around when he was taken No. 94 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, which has been made more difficult by the Carolina Panthers trading into the top spot for some substantial capital that also included wide receiver, D.J. Moore.
Corral missed his entire rookie campaign through a foot fracture. He was around the team, but there is no substitute for practice reps and given how things went under center for the Panthers last season, the one-time Ole Miss stud would have seen time in the starting lineup.
There's been almost no good fortune for Corral since entering the league. The Panthers secured the services of veteran Andy Dalton on a two-year deal, which pushes him further down the pecking order unless there are drastic improvements throughout the upcoming preparation period.
Dalton will be the mentor to whatever rookie comes into the fold. This has all the signs of Corral going into the abyss, with recent rumors indicating the Panthers would be willing to trade the signal-caller if the right offer came along.
All Corral can do is focus on himself and improve when healthy. If that's not good enough, then there could be another team that gambles on his potential given he's still something of an unknown quantity.