The Panthers dealt Diontae Johnson to the Ravens earlier Tuesday, concluding the receiver’s short stay in Charlotte. Carolina had been expected to trade Johnson and should be considered likely to make more moves after a 1-7 start.
Teams are calling on two of the Panthers’ top players. Jaycee Horn and Chuba Hubbard are generating interest, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Hubbard has been mentioned as a player the Panthers are unlikely to trade, and Schultz adds the team is not planning to move the contract-year running back or Horn. The latter has come up at past trade deadlines but is signed through 2025.
While the Panthers are being classified as a team not set to conduct a fire sale, they are in danger of finishing with the NFL’s worst record for a second straight season. Only Carolina and Tennessee reside as one-win teams exiting Week 8. Unlike last season, however, the Panthers have the carrot of holding their first-round pick in 2025 — as opposed to the Bears doing so this year. The opportunity to either add the draft’s best player or its best quarterback — depending on what happens with Bryce Young — would appeal to a Panthers team with no playoff aspirations.
Dealing away more pieces would certainly strengthen Carolina’s chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick, though the team has not needed any such boost thus far. The Panthers have lost five straight, with each of their seven losses coming by double digits. More pieces are all but certain to go, but it does look like Carolina will either stop short of dealing Horn and Hubbard or set a high price on each.
Horn’s name came up in the wake of the October 2022 Matt Rhule firing, but the then-Scott Fitterer-run team did not appear to enter serious talks. The No. 8 overall pick in 2021 has also lost some value due to the significant foot and hamstring injuries. The latter issue kept Horn out of trade talks in 2023. Current GM Dan Morgan worked under Fitterer for much of the GM’s time in Charlotte but was not on staff when the cornerback was selected; Morgan returned to the Panthers just after the 2021 draft.
The Panthers picked up Horn’s fifth-year option, which calls for a $12.47MM fully guaranteed salary in 2025. That number checked in roughly $7MM south of 2021’s No. 9 overall pick, Patrick Surtain. The latter has become one of the NFL’s best defensive players; before extending him this offseason, the Broncos asked for two first-rounders to begin a trade conversation. Although Horn has shown flashes, it would certainly not take that much to pry him from Carolina. Pro Football Focus, however, ranks Horn 27th among corners this season. While the Panthers have dealt Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Brian Burns and now Johnson, they look to view Horn as a building-block player alongside Derrick Brown on defense.
Hubbard may not qualify as such on offense, but it should not be considered a certainty the former Rhule-era fourth-rounder leaves in free agency. The team has seen Hubbard take over as its starting back. While Miles Sanders is a trade chip, Hubbard would likely be prioritized to help second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks ease into action. Brooks is coming off an ACL tear sustained in November 2023. While he may well be the Panthers’ starter in 2025, the Texas product is unlikely to see a big workload once he comes off the reserve/PUP list this season.
As for Young’s status, the Panthers remain unlikely to move him before the Nov. 5 deadline, The Athletic’s Joe Person notes (subscription required). The optics of giving up Young for a haul potentially headlined by Day 3 picks would bring more negative publicity to a team that has endured plenty of it under owner David Tepper. Young also may be given a runway to bounce back during this season’s second half, especially as Andy Dalton battles a thumb sprain sustained in a car accident last week.
The Panthers would have the opportunity to trade Young in 2025 — a scenario that loomed as likely upon the team benching him before Week 3 — but have seen at least four teams call about the former Heisman winner. Young does not yet have enough snaps to qualify, but his 19.3 QBR would rank last this season.
Maybe they should fire sell. lol they’re awful
Young is lost. He needs a change of scenery. If he’s a professional QB, it won’t be in Carolina. Canada, maybe?
Bills lol
Chubba to the niners for a 5th, conditional 4th. They’re down to their 4th string running back, a rookie.
Young isn’t getting traded that makes no sense no team looking to win is looking to give up anything for a QB who looks like he can’t be a starter or even a trusty backup. The panthers would have absolutely zero leverage by even making him available you’d be telling everyone you have so little faith in him your punting already with Dalton as your starter. Give the young man 10 more games whatever his possibilities of turning it around are they have the most value to the Panthers and they are in the best position to just let it ride for the remainder of the season. Doesn’t seem like a bad young man I hope he turns it around. I’d be fair too and keep the weapons you have at least on offense if he doesn’t turn it around whoever you draft to replace him needs players around him to know what he has assuming you start him right away and don’t plan on a mediocre veteran signing and letting him sit all of his rookie year
Teams would certainly trade for Young. No matter how badly he’s played, he’s still a very recent 1st overall pick. Aside from that, which is reason on its own for teams to be interested, he has one of the best series of excuses for a disappointing pick in recent history with how absolutely awful Carolina has been in every possible phase of managing a young pick’s career.
Teams don’t have to want Young as a starter or even give up that much for him. I actually think that whatever potential he had was seriously impacted, permanently, by his time in Carolina. I don’t think he’s unsalvageable, but his ceiling feels permanently lowered. Even still, someone would be interested at some price, I can guarantee it.
They would be dumb to not trade Young, if they can get something for him. He’s just not good. If they don’t trade him, they’ll eventually release him, and get nothing.
You don’t rebuild your team by continually trading away good players.
Young isn’t a good player