Tag: John Kasay

16 former Panthers named preliminary nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame

16 former Panthers, and a current assistant coach, were named amongst the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 167 preliminary nominees for the 2025 class.

Which Carolina Panthers great could be joining Julius Peppers in Canton, Ohio? Well, 16 of them will at least have a shot.

On Wednesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 167 preliminary nominees for their 2025 class. Among those listed were 16 former Panthers.

Those players are as follows:

  • QB Jake Delhomme
  • RB Stephen Davis
  • RB/WR Eric Metcalf
  • WR Muhsin Muhammad
  • WR Steve Smith Sr.
  • TE Wesley Walls
  • TE Jeremy Shockey
  • OT Jordan Gross
  • C Ryan Kalil
  • DE Jared Allen
  • LB Jessie Armstead
  • LB Luke Kuechly
  • LB Lee Woodall
  • S Eugene Robinson
  • CB Charles Tillman
  • K John Kasay

Headlining the group is Kuechly, who is now in his first year of eligibility for the honor. The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Pro spoke about the possibility of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer back in February.

“I think when you think about the Hall of Fame, it’s obviously awesome,” Kuechly said on an episode of Up & Adams. “It’s the highest honor that you can have as a football player on an individual basis. And you look at the guys that got in there at the linebacker position, the guys I grew up watching—Derrick Brooks, Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis, obviously Pep got in. Those three guys that I mentioned and then Patrick [Willis]. And all of ’em were a little bit different.”

Former cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who is currently the assistant defensive backs coach for Carolina, was also one of the 167 nominees.

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Panthers, LS JJ Jansen reportedly agree to terms on 1-year deal

Per The Athletic, LS JJ Jansen will be back with the Panthers on a one-year deal.

243 games and counting.

As first reported by Joseph Person of The Athletic on Friday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers will be bringing back longtime long snapper JJ Jansen for the 2024 campaign. The agreement, per Person, will be a one-year deal.

Jansen, who was slated to become a free agent next week, would be sticking around for his 16th season with the Panthers. He is currently the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, as he’s notched 243 consecutive appearances since joining the team way back in 2009.

The former Pro Bowler has, obviously, experienced quite a bit as the organization’s longest-tenured player. Dave Canales will be the fifth full-time head coach Jansen has played under in Carolina—joining the ranks of John Fox, Ron Rivera, Matt Rhule and Frank Reich.

Additionally, he has been around for three NFC South titles, four overall playoff berths and the franchise’s last trip to the Super Bowl in 2015.

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6 best free-agent signings in Panthers franchise history

They’ve never been known as big spenders in free agency, but the Panthers have found some great value on the open market in the past.

With free agency inching closer, let’s take a fond look into the past.

Here are the six best free-agent signings in Carolina Panthers history:

Every Pro Bowl selection in Panthers franchise history

Let’s take a look back at every Pro Bowl selection in Panthers franchise history

It took a bit longer than it should’ve, but defensive tackle Derrick Brown rightfully became the latest Pro Bowler in Carolina Panthers history.

So, as we gear up for the rest of the festivities this weekend, let’s look back at Brown and every other Panther who has been selected as an all-star.

8 former Panthers named Modern-Era nominees for 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Panthers great Julius Peppers, who is in his first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, headlines the group of 173 Modern-Era nominees.

On Tuesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 173 Modern-Era nominees for their class of 2024. Among the group are eight former Carolina Panthers players—including some franchise greats and a few all-time greats.

Here are those men:

11 potential candidates for Panthers’ 2023 Hall of Honor inductions

If the Panthers are inducting two more players into their Hall of Honor this season, here are the 11 likeliest candidates to get the call.

On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers just might’ve opened two spots in their Hall of Honor—teasing the exciting possibility in a 26-second video. But what they didn’t tease is whom those spots will belong to.

So, if they are adding to the esteemed club, here are the 11 likeliest candidates to get fitted for their blue jackets in 2023.

Panthers fans recall franchise’s most painful ‘what ifs’ on Twitter

Panthers fans were in their bag on Wednesday . . . if that bag was one big sorry sack of sad, sick and unsightly moments.

Carolina Panthers fans don’t root for the sorriest franchise in football, but you wouldn’t know that by their turnout on Wednesday.

The NFL on ESPN Twitter account posted a prompt for users, asking what they think is their team’s biggest “What if . . . ?” And, in what was a sad and impressive showing, the Panthers faithful responded with plenty of downers.

Here are just some of their most painful replies . . .

5 Panthers greats named Modern-era nominees for 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Five Panthers greats were named as Modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2023 class.

Less than two months ago, we witnessed one of the greatest moments in Carolina Panthers franchise history—the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement of Sam Mills. So, will we be witnessing another next summer?

On Tuesday, 129 Modern-era nominees for Canton’s 2023 class were named, and among them are five Panthers greats.

Here they are:

Flashback Friday: Panthers dominate Giants to end Jim Fassel’s tenure

In the latest Giants Wire Flashback Friday, we head to 2003 when the Carolina Panthers dropped the New York Giants to end the Jim Fassel era.

The Jim Fassel era in New York Giants history is littered with highs and lows. Fassel, who took the Giants to the playoff three times and the Super Bowl once, was so revered by the team that when they fired him in mid-December of 2003, they let him coach the team for the remaining two games of the season.

The final game that year was against the surging Carolina Panthers, coached by Fassel’s former defensive coordinator, John Fox. The Panthers came into Giants Stadium on the Sunday after Christmas with a 10-5 record and headed towards the Super Bowl.

Fassel’s team was 4-11 and had lost seven straight games. His team wanted him to go out with win. They sure didn’t show it.

The Panthers took an early 20-0 lead on Steve Smith’s 53-yard punt return, a 27-yards interception return for a touchdown by Ricky Manning Jr. and field goals of 42, 33 and 34 yards from John Kasay. The Giants could not recover and lost miserably, 37-24, in Jesse Palmer’s third and final start as their quarterback.

The loss wasn’t the story, however. That belonged to Fassel and his weird, but sad, farewell. Fox felt for his friend and the two hugged on the field after the game.

“I spent the very first moment with him when he was hired and the very last,” said Fox. “I feel proud to have been associated with him. He has a lot to be proud of, as I told him.”

After the game, Fassel was greeted by throng of about 200 of the Giant faithful in the end zone to wish him well. The players all hugged and praised him after the game as well.

“It’s definitely a sad feeling,” said Giants receiver Amani Toomer. “I wish we could have given him a win. A lot of things happened this year. It’s kind of a relief to have it over. We wish it didn’t happen the way it did.”

Unfortunately, winning is what counts. Fassel’s 58-53-1 record over seven years wasn’t bad but the eight-game losing streak to kill another season was too much for ownership to bear. It was the first Giants team to finish the season with eight consecutive defeats since 1966, the worst season in franchise history (1-12-1).

“I feel maybe it is a better place than when I came in,” Fassel said. ” I know a lot of the older players have said that to me and that has stuck with me a lot.”

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