We’ve now had three separate reports from three of the NFL’s most bona fide insiders pushing back on the prospect of a Carolina Panthers fire sale. Nevertheless, interest persisted.
Buy Panthers TicketsOne of those reports, which referred to the Panthers as a “distressed asset,” came courtesy of CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones on Saturday morning. The former team beat reporter for The Charlotte Observer ran down the ongoing state of the struggling franchise, even including a little nugget about their star running back—who has reportedly drawn some outside interest in the aftermath of Matt Rhule’s dismissal.
“And while teams are calling about Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers have not engaged in any serious trade talks. Carolina isn’t just going to give away one of the league’s best weapons when healthy,” Jones writes. “The Broncos, 49ers, Rams and Bills are among the teams that have shown varying degrees of interest in McCaffrey.”
So, no, Carolina doesn’t seem to be shopping McCaffrey around. The same can also be said of wideout DJ Moore and defensive linemen Brian Burns and Derrick Brown—all of whom Jones says the Panthers are “adamant” about keeping.
But, if an offer comes along that cannot be refused, perhaps general manager Scott Fitterer will listen a bit more intently.
