The Carolina Panthers and former head coach Matt Rhule tried, time and time again, to fix their problem under center—and they couldn’t do it. Now, it’s the new guy’s turn.
On Wednesday, during his media availability at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Frank Reich talked plenty about how he and the organization plan on attacking the quarterback position this offseason. When asked if signing a veteran quarterback like Derek Carr is more appealing given the current vulnerability of the NFC South, he said there’s way more that goes into a decision than the present.
“I don’t think you can make that decision based on the status of the division right now,” he replied. “Whatever decision we make is what is best not just for this year, but you’re looking on the horizon. Obviously if you draft a guy, you’re looking on a very long-term horizon. If you go free agent like we go Derek Carr, the nice thing with Derek is he’s gonna be 32 years old. So, it’s kinda prime quarterback years. So, there’s still a good five-year window there. Sure, we’re like every team—we wanna win the division next year. But we really have to look beyond that as well.”
The Panthers, at 7-10, finished just one game behind the eventual division winners in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past season. So with Tampa losing quarterback Tom Brady to retirement and the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons still trying to find their footing, perhaps a four-time Pro Bowl passer could push Carolina to the top.
Regardless, Reich said they’re looking at all options.
“I think all options would be on the table,” he responded when asked about weighing quarterbacks in the draft and free agency. “We’re gonna do what we think is best for our team—both in the near-term and the long-term.”
