Panthers fans will laugh over player's comical response to Delta plane mishap

Following their preseason matchup against the New England Patriots Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers boarded a plane back home and arrived early Friday morning.

Everything went smoothly, until it didn't.

One might say things went too smooth, as the Delta plane slid off the taxiway into the mud when it arrived at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident. But, one player in particular decided to take to social media and poke a little fun at the airline. Safety Xavier Woods posted one simple word in a repost on X (Twitter) and, well, fans will have a good laugh.

The low-hanging fruit here, from the pessimist's point of view, would be to take aim at Woods for demanding free plane tickets when he's a professional athlete that would have no problem paying for a trip to begin with.

However, those of us who have been involved in a similar incident, and can relate, would be quick to shoot that down. It doesn't matter who you are. The majority of people would have been a bit shaken up after an incident like that, so why not ask for the airline to do some justice?

On another note, Woods enters the final year of his deal in Carolina and remains an integral part of the defense as this team attempts to rise from the ashes.

Will Xavier Woods receive a contract extension?

Woods' current contract goes through the 2024 season and was a modest, 3-year deal worth $15 million. If Carolina is smart, they'd try and extend him now before the cap goes up again in 2025, or they'll risk Woods' price tag going up.

On a team that was not a pretty sight to watch in 2023, Woods was a bright spot. He earned a strong Pro Football Focus grade of 80.3 overall and, specifically, was excellent in coverage. In that department, Woods was given a grade of 81.7 on the season.

Over the course of 2023, Woods allowed a passer rating of just 50.7, tallied five pass breakups and two interceptions.

The 29-year-old is coming off his best season as a pro, and I would venture to guess most fans will want to see him stay in Carolina. Hopefully, the Panthers can offer more than Delta Airlines by way of a contract extension, rather than mere flight vouchers.