7 veteran free-agent quarterbacks the Carolina Panthers could target in 2025

Carolina Panthers could sign Mac Jones

Bryce Young is the latest in a rapidly growing line of first-round quarterbacks who cannot make a go of things in the pros. This is an indictment of their situations and development. It's also brought calls to implement more patience and allow them to sit behind a veteran until they are fully ready to participate at the pinnacle.

Another fine example of this came from Mac Jones, one of Young's former teammates at Alabama. Things looked promising for the signal-caller during a decent rookie campaign. It's been a steep decline after that, which culminated with the New England Patriots trading the No. 15 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jones is backing up Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville this season and will be a free agent in 2025. He could be forced to accept backup duties moving forward. The player might be able to find a team where he can genuinely compete for a starting job after a year of watching from the sidelines. There's just no telling for sure right now.

This would be nothing more than a one-year arrangement for the Carolina Panthers. But head coach Dave Canales might not want to risk his future on Jones if he manages to last the entire 2024 campaign.

Carolina Panthers could sign Justin Fields

The Panthers might look for a younger option at the quarterback position rather than someone who's already reached the peak of their powers. It's a difficult situation that must be managed carefully. But someone like Justin Fields could enter the equation depending on how things unfold with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the coming months.

Fields was acquired via trade from the Chicago Bears once the NFC North team had decided Caleb Williams was the guy at No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He came in as Russell Wilson's backup, but an unfortunate injury to the veteran gave the former first-round pick out of Ohio State a chance to start.

All credit must go to Fields for the way he's adjusted in tricky circumstances. The dual-threat weapon isn't making mistakes and the Steelers are relying on their outstanding defense to get them where they need to go. Whether this dynamic changes once Wilson is ready to return is up for debate, but it's given Mike Tomlin plenty to ponder long-term.

Many fans were clamoring for the Panthers to take Fields at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. They traded for Sam Darnold and took stud cornerback Jaycee Horn instead. How ironic would it be if this came full circle and the quarterback ended up under center for Carolina in 2025?

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