When fans tune into the Carolin Panthers during the preseason later this summer, they might not see what they want at quarterback. No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young figures to be a huge draw, but Young could very well be taking a back seat in Charlotte to Matt Corral in the exhibition season.
Corral was a third-round pick by the Panthers in the 2022 NFL draft coming out of Ole Miss. The Panthers even traded up to select him in that draft. Corral missed his entire rookie season after suffering a preseason foot injury, and the franchise clearly decided Young was the better direction to progress with.
However, Corral remains on the roster. As Joe Person of The Athletic notes, the new Panthers coaching staff is eager to see what he can offer. Person writes,
The former Ole Miss quarterback figures to get the bulk of the snaps in the preseason games. That will give the 2022 third-rounder a chance to showcase his skills for the Panthers (and every other team) following what amounted to a redshirt season
Young still hasn’t officially signed his rookie contract, but that’s about the only formality left in the Alabama star becoming the starting QB in Carolina. For Corral, the preseason will be an open audition to new head coach Frank Reich that he’s worthy of being the long-term backup. If not, perhaps one of their opponents might want an inexpensive young backup with some upside.
The other QB in Carolina is veteran Andy Dalton, who doesn’t really need to play other than as a “break glass in case of emergency” option.