There shall be no kicker carousel for the Carolina Panthers in 2022 . . . or at least they won’t intend on having one.
In case the two-year extension for Zane Gonzalez wasn’t a hint enough already, the Panthers have eyes for just one place kicker as we head into the upcoming campaign. That was further solidified on Wednesday, when the team officially waived Lirim Hajrullahu.
Hajrullahu came to Carolina’s rescue starting in Week 16 of the 2020 season, after Gonzalez sustained a quad injury during pregame warmups in Buffalo the outing prior. With no other viable option to replace the injured Gonzalez on such short notice, an impromptu kicking tryout would ensue featuring the likes of punter Lachlan Edwards, wide receiver Brandon Zylstra, running back Reggie Bonnafon and quarterback P.J. Walker.
Since that obviously wouldn’t suffice, Hajrullahu signed on to undertake the duties for the remainder of the year. He’d go on to convert four of his five field goal attempts and each of his eight extra point tries.
