Tag: Jonathan Stewart

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.

Panthers great Jonathan Stewart ’empowered’ by Morgan-Canales presser

New Panthers HC Dave Canales definitely has a fan in franchise great Jonathan Stewart.

The Carolina Panthers haven’t won a playoff game since Jonathan Stewart was on the roster. So, much like the rest of the faithful, he’s felt the pain from this franchise for quite some time.

But, the former running back was feeling something much different on Thursday—after the team’s introductory press conference for new president of football operations Dan Morgan and new head coach Dave Canales. He and a handful of other Panthers greats were in attendance at Bank of America Stadium this morning to experience the start of a new era, and it may be something that sticks with them for a while . . .

Stewart then tweeted the following later in the evening:

As far as the legends go, Carolina’s all-time leading rusher was joined by Thomas Davis (obviously), Mike Tolbert, Muhsin Muhammad and Mike Rucker. A few active players—including offensive linemen Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett—were also in the seats.

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Dan Morgan on improving Panthers roster: ‘The logo has to be feared again’

Panthers GM Dan Morgan: “The logo has to be feared again. ‘Cause right now, it’s not feared.”

So, what type of players is Dan Morgan looking for to start his tenure as the president of football operations and general manager of the Carolina Panthers? He gave us that answer on Thursday.

In his introductory press conference alongside new head coach Dave Canales, Morgan laid down the vision for what he’ll be hunting for in rebuilding the team’s roster. Oh, and he gave a nod to a franchise great, who was sitting in attendance, while doing so.

“First of all, we need to find those leaders, those competitors, as J-Stew [Jonathan Stewart] would say, those dawgs,” he said. “Like, we need some dawgs. Like, we gotta get some guys that are passionate about football, that love football, that wanna come out every day and compete on the practice field, in the weight room. We need competitors. We gotta bring that back here. We gotta bring that back here to Bank of America Stadium, to where people get excited about coming to see our team.

“We’re super passionate about bringing a team that the fans can be proud of, that our players can be proud of. When teams drive up to this stadium, we want them to fear that logo. The logo has to be feared again. ‘Cause right now, it’s not feared. So we gotta get that back. But I think it starts with getting the right players.”

Well, Morgan’s not wrong. It’s difficult to believe any team in 2023 feared the 2-15 Panthers throughout the course of their most embarrassing season in team history.

But, as Morgan noted in a sit-down interview with Panthers play-by-play man Anish Shroff before the presser, things can change quickly. And that was certainly the case for Morgan and the rest of the dawgs between 2001 and 2003, when they went from a 15-loss group to NFC champions.

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‘Ducks vs. Them:’ Oregon releases new hype video for 2023 season

“It doesn’t matter what stadium we’re in, or who is on the other sideline. There’s only one simple storyline that matters each week: It’s Ducks versus them.”

Oregon Duck fans across the nation are waking up on Saturday morning with an excitement that they haven’t felt in eight months since the last time they saw their favorite team play a college football game.

In just a matter of hours, Dan Lanning and his team will kick off the 2023 season against the Portland State Vikings in Autzen Stadium.

If you weren’t already excited, then I guarantee you that you will be after watching the newest hype video released by the team ahead of the season. Narrated by Oregon legend Jonathan Stewart, the video proclaims that it is “Ducks vs. Them,’ touting that no matter where they play, or who they play, what matters is that this team is together in the fight.

“It doesn’t matter where we’re going, or where we’ve been,” Stewart narrates. “It doesn’t matter what stadium we’re in, or who is on the other sideline. There’s only one simple storyline that matters each week: It’s Ducks versus them.”

In an offseason where there has been endless noise, whether it’s due to the transfer portal or the massive conference realignment changes that will now see Oregon in the Big Ten a year from now, the Ducks are staying focused on what they can control this year.

That starts with Saturday — an opportunity to begin the season 1-0 with a dominant win over Portland State.

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Panthers great Jonathan Stewart: Pay the running backs

Panthers great Jonathan Stewart: “Let’s treat these running backs like they should be treated and pay them.”

You can take the “running back” off of Jonathan Stewart’s job title, but you can’t take the running back out of Jonathan Stewart.

The Carolina Panthers’ all-time leading rusher, along with co-hosts Desmond Johnson and Schuyler Callihan, kicked off the new season of the “Bleav in Carolina Panthers” podcast on Tuesday. Among the topics covered was the troubling market for today’s running backs, whom Stewart stood in defense of.

“If I told you that a player had 295 carries, 1,300 yards, ten touchdowns for the New York Giants…probably the most rushing yards since Tiki Barber…and you told me that you didn’t want to pay this guy? Come on man,” he said. “What are we doing? It’s not just him. You got guys at the top of their position not getting paid, not getting worked out.

“Obviously I played running back and I understand what it takes to play that position and what your body goes through and how hard it is to stay on the field. I mean, these guys have been banged up, but they have also produced. When you have a healthy Josh Jacobs and you have a healthy Saquon Barkley on your team, you’re automatically better.”

Both Jacobs and Barkley are coming off stellar 2022 campaigns, in which the former led the entire league in rushing and the latter ran for a career-high 1,312 yards. But both—instead of being offered what they believe they’re worth on long-term commitments—were also slapped with the franchise tag this offseason.

As the game continues to become a more pass-heavy environment, running backs have seemingly become less and less valuable in the eyes of NFL decision makers. But Stewart isn’t buying it.

“If you have one of the best ball-carriers on the field, you need to make sure he’s paid. Period,” he added. “I’m tired of this whole narrative of you can just keep him for his rookie contract and then get rid of him. When you think about top players in the NFL all-time, running backs come up. So let’s treat these running backs like they should be treated and pay them.”

With the exception of the three backs who were designated with the $10.1 million franchise tag—Jacobs, Barkley and Tony Pollard—only five players at the position average more than $7 million per year on their current deals.

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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.

All-Time Saints Villains: Who has the most career rushing yards against New Orleans?

Who has the most career rushing yards against the Saints? The Panthers’ duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart was challenging to say the least:

Some seriously talented runners have suited up against the New Orleans Saints over the years — but which rusher stands on top? Who challenged the Saints defense the most as a threat to make a big play on the ground?

We’ve already looked at the highest-scoring quarterbacks and most-accomplished wide receivers to oppose the black and gold. Now let’s look back on the Saints’ biggest rivals at running back, thanks to Statmuse:

Panthers great Jonathan Stewart breaks Hurricanes’ siren at Eastern Conference Finals

Panthers great Jonathan Stewart literally broke the Carolina Hurricanes’ storm siren prior to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night.

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Former Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart was known to break a few ankles and souls out of the backfield. But now, with his playing days behind him, he’s gone on to break some other stuff.

On Thursday night, Stewart played the role of honorary siren sounder for the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the opening game of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against, ironically enough, the Florida Panthers. And unfortunately for that siren, the once fast and furious runner hit it with as much strength, speed and endurance as he did his defenders.

By busting the siren, the Panthers’ all-time leading rusher caused some all-time aftermath. University of North Carolina basketball coach Hubert Davis was a fellow sounder on the night, and was supposed to get a turn at the churn following Stewart.

So instead, he just did this . . .

To add insult to injury, the Hurricanes dropped Game 1 in a draining 3-2 quadruple-overtime loss.

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Jonathan Stewart to announce Panthers’ 2nd-round draft pick

Panthers all-time leading rusher Jonathan Stewart will announce the team’s second-round pick on Friday night.

We, obviously, do not yet know who the Carolina Panthers will be selecting with their second pick of the 2023 NFL draft. But we do know who’s announcing it.

That honor will go to former running back and franchise great Jonathan Stewart. The 36-year-old is one of 33 other players—active or retired—who are set to hit the microphone to represent his franchise.

Stewart himself was drafted with the 13th overall pick by the Panthers back in 2008. The Fort Lewis, Wash. native and University of Oregon product went on to spend 10 of his 11 NFL campaigns in Carolina.

He’d become the organization’s all-time leading rusher over that tenure—smashing (and sometimes dashing) to 7,318 yards and 69 touchdowns over 131 games. Stewart is also the last Panthers player to have scored in a Super Bowl, a little factoid he earned on a 1-yard leap against the Denver Broncos in the team’s eventual 24-10 loss from the 2015 season.

But now, he’s probably hoping that the player he calls on Friday will help the Panthers get back (and actually win) on the game’s biggest stage.

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Panthers great Jonathan Stewart is an Anthony Richardson fan

Panthers all-time leading rusher Jonathan Stewart may have just hopped on the Anthony Richardson train.

If we’re taking a running tally of which 2023 quarterback prospect Carolina Panthers greats prefer, Anthony Richardson may have an early lead.

On Friday, former running back Jonathan Stewart seemingly cast his vote for who should be this year’s No. 1 overall selection. The franchise’s all-time leading rusher tweeted the following after Richardson’s pro day outing . . .

Now, perhaps Stewart is a fan of C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and/or Will Levis as well. But if Richardson is indeed his favorite of the talented bunch, it wouldn’t be too difficult to see why.

Some of Stewart’s best ball came alongside quarterback Cam Newton—who has been a popular comp for the 6-foot-4, 244-pound dual-threat Richardson. Newton, in his dominant MVP run, led the Panthers to the organization’s most successful season back in 2015—a campaign that also saw Stewart earn his lone career Pro Bowl nod.

Likely joining Stewart on that train is future Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly. In an interview with The Morning Shift a few weeks ago, Kuechly said Richardson excites him given his similarities to Newton.

Stewart and Kuechly, however, probably shouldn’t make room for a couple of their other former teammates in Steve Smith Sr. and Thomas Davis. Smith Sr. seemed a bit cautious on Richardson being a long-term investment while Davis has already expressed his objection to the possibility.

And now, we have three more weeks to see if any more old friends enter chat.

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