The Carolina Panthers needed a franchise quarterback to save them from NFL purgatory. Not for the first time in team history, they chose the wrong guy.
But this is not a tale of Jimmy Clausen or Bryce Young (who looks well on the way to changing his narrative). This is the story about Chris Weinke, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Florida State who was given the keys to the kingdom immediately.
Weinke's college production needs no introduction. He took home college football's most prestigious accolade in 1999 despite throwing for 14 interceptions, leading the Seminoles to a national championship. The signal-caller finished his collegiate career with a 58.7 completion percentage for 9,839 yards, 79 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions, but he was made to wait until the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft to hear his name called.
There was a good reason. Weinke was a former minor league baseball star before going to college. He was 28 years old when drafted, which made him 29 years old just before his first NFL training camp.
Carolina Panthers were wrong about Chris Weinke, and they paid a heavy price
The Panthers thought it was worth the risk. They immediately thrust Weinke into the starting job. After all, time was of the essence given his age and the desperate need for improvements under center.
It didn't go according to plan. Weinke was a rabbit in the headlights. Everything moved too fast for the quarterback, and he suffered accordingly. One win was all he mustered from his first-year exploits. It was clear from a long way out that this gamble wasn't going to pay off.
Weinke completed 54.3 percent of his passes as a rookie for 2,931 yards and 11 touchdowns. He threw 19 interceptions and achieved a low passer rating of 62.0 as a result of his efforts.
That was all Carolina needed to see. The Panthers started Rodney Peete the following season, and Weinke went to the fringes. He did last four years with the team over two separate spells, but the fears many had before he was drafted reared their head quickly.
Weinke's disastrous season under center wasn't all bad news. It provided the Panthers with the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, which they utilized on defensive end Julius Peppers.
That selection went much better.
It's a sad tale that became a microcosm of how things have unfolded at football's most important position in Carolina more often than not.
Cam Newton and Jake Delhomme are the success stories. Steve Beuerlein's toughness is remembered fondly by the die-hards who were there at the beginning. Young has the potential to become a franchise-caliber presence. It's been a collection of misfits, mishaps, and everything in between aside from that.
Weinke is among the most painful examples. And it turned out age did not compensate for a lack of NFL experience in the end.