Carolina Panthers

Robbie Anderson tweeted over the weekend that he was contemplating retirement, saying in the since-deleted post: "Ain't gone lie. Thinking bout retiring."

He told reporters on Wednesday that the tweet wasn't serious, however:

Anderson also made it pretty clear with an Instagram comment that he wasn't interested in playing with Baker Mayfield, who has been rumored to the Panthers in a potential trade:

Anderson didn't exactly walk back those comments on Wednesday:

It wasn't all that long ago that Anderson wasn't rushing to the defense of Sam Darnold. He ripped into the quarterback during a November game this past season after Darnold threw his third interception.

Anderson and Darnold had trouble recreating the chemistry they once found on the Jets, as the veteran wideout caught just 53 passes for 519 yards and five touchdowns. It was Anderson's worst statistical season since his rookie year.

The Panthers didn't have much more success, starting 3-0 but promptly losing 12 of their next 14 games.

As for Anderson's retirement tweet, he was a participant in this week's minicamp, though he skipped May's voluntary organized team activities. After signing a two-year, $29.5 million extension before the 2021 season, Anderson would owe the team $19.4 million between bonus money, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Charlotte Observer.

"At first, it was kind of a surprise, and I just took it in," Darnold told reporters regarding Anderson's since-deleted retirement tweet. "I was surprised at first and waited till mandatory minicamp and he was here. There’s a lot of ways to look at that."

One way, perhaps, is that Anderson really, truly doesn't want to play with Mayfield. Regardless, he's been a participant with the team this past week, and from a financial perspective, retirement would be an expensive choice for the 29-year-old.

The Carolina Panthers are still being linked to Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, but the rumors don't appear to be rattling Sam Darnold, who noted Wednesday that general manager Scott Fitterer is going to do what's best for the team in all situations.

"I think no matter what they're always gonna do what's best for the team," Darnold told reporters (10:54). "And so with that being said, whether that's Scott going out and getting someone who he feels like can do a better job, you know, that's not for me to judge. ... I’ve gotta hold up my end of the bargain. If I’m the starting quarterback for this team, I’ve gotta go out and play good football."

Darnold's comments come after Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported Tuesday that the Panthers and Browns have continued to have discussions about a trade for Mayfield but that the quarterback's salary remains an issue.

Mayfield is set to play the 2022 season on his $18.8 million fifth-year option before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

The Browns are looking to trade Mayfield after acquiring Deshaun Watson in a deal with the Houston Texans in March. Cleveland gave Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, signaling that it will move on from Mayfield regardless after the 2022 campaign.

However, Watson's status for the upcoming season remains up in the air as the NFL continues to investigate numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against him.

As for the Panthers, they've been in the quarterback market since the 2021 season ended. Carolina acquired Darnold from the New York Jets ahead of the 2021 campaign began, but he didn't live up to the team's expectations.

Darnold appeared in just 12 games due to numerous injuries, completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,527 yards and nine touchdowns against 13 interceptions. It was a continuation of what has been a disappointing career for the 2018 third overall pick.

While Darnold appears set to enter the 2022 season as Carolina's starting quarterback, the Panthers also selected Matt Corral in the 2022 NFL Draft, hoping that he can be their quarterback of the future.

If all else fails, Mayfield wouldn't be a terrible option for the upcoming campaign. The 2018 first overall pick struggled with a shoulder injury throughout the 2021 season and still managed to complete 60.5 percent of his passes for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

That said, Mayfield will need to prove himself and be more consistent in 2022 if he has hopes of being a starter in 2023 and beyond, whether that be in Carolina or elsewhere.

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly making a push to acquire disgruntled quarterback Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Panthers and Browns are holding trade talks focused on Mayfield with the main sticking point being how much of Mayfield's salary the Browns are willing to absorb.

Jones added that Carolina has made Cleveland its best offer yet for Mayfield, and there is a sense of "urgency" on the Panthers' side to get a deal done soon in order to have Mayfield in the fold for part of minicamp.

The Browns essentially turned the page on Mayfield in March when they acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.

Before the Browns traded for Watson, Mayfield was clearly frustrated by the team even entertaining the idea:

The Watson trade coupled with the signing of Jacoby Brissett as a backup quarterback in free agency spelled the end of Mayfield's tenure, but things have been slow to develop on the trade front.

There are likely several reasons for that, including negotiations on how Mayfield's $18.9 million 2022 salary will be divvied up, and the fact that the Browns have very little leverage given that teams know they have to part ways with him eventually.

At the same time, the Panthers are lacking leverage to some degree since the Browns are aware of their less-than-ideal quarterback situation.

For now, Sam Darnold is the de facto starter, but that status is tenuous at best given that he finished last season with a 4-7 record as a starter and completed just 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions, marking the second consecutive year in which he had more picks than touchdown tosses.

Behind Darnold is rookie third-round draft pick Matt Corral, who has no shortage of talent but doesn't necessarily have the feel of a day one starter.

Mayfield has his warts as a player, but the 2018 No. 1 overall pick is perhaps the best option the Panthers have right now.

While the 27-year-old struggled to the tune of a 6-8 record, as well as 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season, he played much of the year with an injured non-throwing shoulder that required offseason surgery.

Also, Mayfield isn't far removed from a 2020 season that was the best of his career, as he completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also led the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and to a playoff victory over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is likely coaching for his job this season after going 10-23 in his first two campaigns, and he needs a quarterback who can best utilize running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Mayfield has had his ups and downs over the course of his career, but the numbers say he is a significantly better option than Darnold.

Veteran free-agent defensive end Carlos Dunlap is set to visit with the Carolina Panthers on Monday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Dunlap, 33, is a 12-year NFL veteran who spent his first 10-and-a-half seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks during the 2020 campaign.

The North Charleston, South Carolina, native is a two-time Pro Bowler and represents a potential pass-rushing replacement for Haason Reddick, who left the Panthers for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.

Dunlap was a second-round draft pick of the Bengals in 2010, and he went on to become one of the most prolific pass-rushers in team history.

He racked up 82.5 sacks in 155 regular-season games with the Bengals, placing him second on the team's all-time sack list behind only Eddie Edwards (84.5).

Dunlap had a career-high 13.5 sacks in 2015 en route to his first Pro Bowl and was named a Pro Bowler again the following season after an eight-sack effort.

Cincinnati traded Dunlap to the Seahawks during the 2020 season for center B.J. Finney and a seventh-round draft pick, and the move paid dividends for Seattle.

In eight games for the Seahawks, Dunlap finished with five sacks. He followed that up with a team-high 8.5 sacks last season, giving him 96 for his career.

Last season, the Panthers ranked in the middle of the pack in sacks, but Reddick led the way with 11. Carolina's leading returning sack artist is Brian Burns, who had nine, while no other returning player had more than 3.5 last season.

Carolina didn't do much to address its defensive line in free agency or via the draft, instead banking on third-year man Yetur Gross-Matos taking a leap forward.

While the Panthers will need plenty out of Burns and Gross-Matos moving forward, bringing in an experienced and productive veteran like Dunlap for obvious passing situations could provide a boost.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson tweeted Saturday that he is considering retirement.

Anderson followed that with a since-deleted tweet in which he scolded fans, writing: "Glad to see people think my dream and my goals and my life a joke and they entertainment dats what be wrong with 'fans' & society. One thang about it no man can control what God has destined for me. Jesus went through worse. The Real always prevail."

The 29-year-old Anderson is a six-year NFL veteran who has spent the past two seasons with the Panthers.

Originally, the New York Jets signed Anderson as an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2016, and it didn't take him long to become a key contributor.

His second NFL season was one of his best, as he finished with 63 receptions for 941 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.

Anderson's numbers dropped a bit over the next two seasons after Sam Darnold took over as the starting quarterback, and he signed a two-year contract with the Panthers in free agency prior to the 2020 season.

With Teddy Bridgewater throwing to him, Anderson set career highs with 95 receptions and 1,096 yards in 2020, plus he scored three touchdowns.

He then signed a two-year contract extension with the Panthers before the 2021 season.

In addition to playing under his former Temple head coach and current Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, Anderson was reunited with his former Jets teammate in Darnold last season.

That didn't result in an uptick in production, as Anderson set a career low in yardage with 519 to go along with 53 receptions and five touchdowns.

Anderson was still second on the team in receiving yardage behind DJ Moore, but he could fall even further in the pecking order if he decides to play.

In addition to Moore being the unquestioned No. 1 wideout, a healthy Christian McCaffrey at running back will command a ton of targets, plus second-year receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. could be integrated far more into the offense.

The Panthers already have some major question marks on offense, especially under center with Darnold in line to be the starter again in 2022, but they will have a depth issue as well if Anderson retires.

Cam Newton struggled with the Carolina Panthers last season, but the veteran quarterback told The Pivot Podcast on Tuesday (via Joe Person of The Athletic) that the circumstances of his return held him back:

"In Carolina, I put myself into another f--ked up situation. I signed on Thursday and was playing on Sunday. The next week, I started and I was still trying to learn the offense...Before I allow the narrative to be made that I don't have it anymore, I'm just saying that I put myself in a f--ked up situation. That had a ricochet effect toward how people think of me."

Newton had gone unsigned after the New England Patriots released him shortly before the 2021 season. When Panthers starter Sam Darnold suffered a shoulder injury, the team turned to Newton on a one-year, $10 million deal with $4.5 million guaranteed.

The veteran appeared in eight games (five starts), totaling four passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns and five interceptions.

Newton's 25.5 QBR would be dead last in the NFL if he had enough plays to qualify.

His time on the field was still rightfully earned thanks to a hot start.

After Darnold's injury, P.J. Walker got the start with the newly signed Newton only active in a backup role. The 33-year-old saw nine snaps in his first game, recording one passing touchdown and one rushing score in a 34-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Newton earned the starting role the next week and played well, finishing 21-of-27 for 189 yards and two touchdowns, plus 46 rushing yards and one more touchdown in a 27-21 loss to the then-Washington Football Team.

Things went downhill from there, with Newton struggling with his accuracy and the Panthers losing each of his four remaining starts as they fell out of playoff contention.

The three-time Pro Bowler and 2015 MVP has not been an effective passer since 2018, although injuries certainly slowed him down in recent years. He also hasn't had a full offseason with any team since his last stint with Carolina.

Newton, who is still a free agent, will hope to get another chance in which he can learn the playbook and fully prepare for his on-field duties.

Justine Lindsay became the NFL's first publicly out trans cheerleader when she made the Carolina Panthers' TopCats squad, and she hopes she can help remove barriers for her peers within the trans community.

Lindsay told BuzzFeed News' Paige Skinner she wants to "break down that door" for trans athletes.

"I’m happy because I was able to break down that door and tell people, 'Hey, we are not just sexual beings,'" she said. "'We are actual human beings who want to better ourselves.' I felt like, Why not tell the world: 'Hey, listen, this is a great accomplishment.'"

Lindsay's achievement comes as politicians across the country are targeting the trans community in youth sports. That's despite a lack of clear evidence as to whether transgender women have a physical advantage over cisgender women.

In March 2020, Idaho became the first state in the United States to ban transgender girls and women from female sports leagues with a law titled the "Fairness in Women’s Sports Act." Since then, multiple states have enacted similar legislation.

Most recently, Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban transgender women from competing in female leagues at the high school and college levels.

As part of the "Save Women's Sports Act," athletes could be required to undergo "full pelvic exams" to determine their biological sex. The bill has drawn widespread criticism.

Lindsay told Skinner she thought she could help improve the visibility of the trans community by representing the TopCats.

"This is big," she said. "I think more people need to see this. It’s not because I want recognition. It’s just to shed light on what’s going on in the world."

The Carolina Panthers are considered a potential landing spot for Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade, but Joseph Person of The Athletic reported "there are concerns within the Panthers organization about the health of Garoppolo's throwing shoulder after surgery in March."

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback underwent surgery on March 8 for an injury he suffered in the NFC Championship Game. He said in April that he was targeting a return in training camp from his offseason surgery, per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.

San Francisco has not been shy about Garoppolo's trade availability, with general manager John Lynch saying in May the team was "close" to a deal before the surgery "brought things to a screeching halt."

The 49ers will want to deal Garoppolo before next season because of his $26.95 million cap hit, which would leave just $1.4 million of dead cap if he is traded or released, per Spotrac.

Carolina also needs a proven option at quarterback after a disappointing year from Sam Darnold.

The former New York Jet didn't fare much better after his trade to the Panthers, finishing 2021 with nine passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 71.9 quarterback rating in 12 games.

Third-round pick Matt Corral could be the quarterback of the future for Carolina, but he would be difficult to trust early in the season.

Assuming he's healthy, Garoppolo would represent an upgrade after tallying a 98.7 quarterback rating in 2021, throwing 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in 15 starts. The 49ers are 31-14 in the regular season and 4-2 in the postseason when the 30-year-old starts.

Two years after breaking ground, the Carolina Panthers' practice facility project in Rock Hill, South Carolina, won't be completed.

Per Steve Reed of the Associated Press, the proposed $800 million facility is "officially dead" after Panthers owner David Tepper's real estate company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday.

Plans for a new practice facility have been in the works since 2018, when Tepper first purchased the Panthers franchise from Jerry Richardson.

According to a timeline of events from John Marks of The Herald, Rock Hill city officials approved plans for a new Panthers practice facility in May 2019.

The Panthers eventually bought the Waterford Golf Club in Rock Hill for the planned site of its new headquarters. A groundbreaking ceremony for the facility was held in July 2020, with a planned opening in 2023.

According to Marks, Panthers COO Mark Hart sent a request to York County asking for help because "funding for the infrastructure remains at a crossroads."

Tepper Sports & Entertainment announced in March the project was being put on hold until they could "find an economically acceptable solution for all parties to continue this project in Rock Hill."

York County eventually agreed to a proposed deal in which it would pay $225 million in public infrastructure, but the bonds for the loan were never issued.

The Panthers said in a statement on April 19 they terminated their contracts with Rock Hill for the construction of their new headquarters and practice facility, citing the city not curing "its default within the prescribed 30-day cure period."

Rock Hill officials called the team's statement "misleading and erroneous" and said they "attempted to meet with the Panthers on numerous occasions to no avail."

It's unclear at this point if Tepper will attempt to find another location to build a new practice facility.

Carolina has used Gibbs Stadium at Wofford College as its training camp home since entering the NFL in 1995.