The Carolina Panthers had the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but a lot of folks forget that they had to give up a lot to get there. DJ Moore, multiple firsts, and other draft capital went out the door to Chicago to move up eight spots to eventually select Alabama's Bryce Young.
Before the Panthers made the trade, they weighed several options among those in the league. Derek Carr met with the team at the combine in Indianapolis and now, a report just popped up from Adam Schefter of ESPN that Carolina was one of just two teams that showed interest in Lamar Jackson.
"The two teams known to have inquired about Jackson's services were the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, according to league sources, but neither team got overly aggressive with Jackson, and neither came close to signing him to an offer sheet that the Ravens would have had a chance to match."
Many were confused by the lack of interest around the league in signing Jackson to an offer sheet but much of it had to do with the injuries that began to pile up over the previous two seasons. Jackson had played in just twelve games each in the 2021 and 2022 seasons and no one wanted to take that risk. Plus, the Ravens were more than likely going to match the offer sheet anyways. One reason Carolina likely didn't make their interest known was so that they continue to make progress in the trade negotiations with Chicago. They didn't want to show their hand that they were looking to make a big splash at quarterback, prompting another team to move quickly with the Bears.
Jackson has led the Ravens to a 12-3 record this season and is squarely in the mix for the MVP award combining for over 4,000 total yards of offense to go with 24 touchdowns.
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