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2022 Carolina Panthers season

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2022 Carolina Panthers season
OwnerDavid Tepper
General managerScott Fitterer
Head coachMatt Rhule (fired October 10; 1–4 record)
Steve Wilks (interim; 6–6 record)
Home fieldBank of America Stadium
Results
Record7–10
Division place2nd NFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersDE Brian Burns
Uniform

The 2022 season was the Carolina Panthers' 28th in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Matt Rhule. They attempted to improve on their 5–12 record from last season and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. After a 1–4 start from the team, the Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule, along with defensive coordinator Phil Snow. Rhule was replaced with defensive passing game coordinator Steve Wilks, who served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[1] After a Week 16 win against the Detroit Lions, they improved on their 5 win total from the previous 3 years. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth straight year when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week.[2]

Offseason

[edit]

Signings

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Position Player Age 2021 Team Contract
C Bradley Bozeman 27 Baltimore Ravens 1 year, $2.8 million
G Austin Corbett 26 Los Angeles Rams 3 years, $26.2 million
RB D'Onta Foreman 26 Tennessee Titans 1 year, $2 million
P Johnny Hekker 32 Los Angeles Rams 3 years, $7.6 million
WR Rashard Higgins 27 Cleveland Browns 1 year, $1.1 million
DT Matt Ioannidis 28 Washington Commanders 1 year, $9.5 million
LB Cory Littleton 28 Las Vegas Raiders 1 year, $2.6 million
LB Damien Wilson 29 Jacksonville Jaguars 2 years, $6.9 million
FS Xavier Woods 26 Minnesota Vikings 3 years, $15 million
WR Andre Roberts 34 Los Angeles Chargers 1 year, $1.7 million

Draft

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2022 Carolina Panthers Draft
Round Selection Player Position College Notes
1 6 Ikem Ekwonu OT NC State
2 38 Traded to the New York Jets[A]
3 70 Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars[B]
94 Matt Corral QB Ole Miss from Chiefs via Patriots[C]
4 111 Traded to the New York Jets[A]
120 Brandon Smith LB Penn State from Saints via Commanders[D]
137 Traded to the New England Patriots[C] from Rams via Texans[E]
5 144 Traded to the Washington Commanders[D] from Jaguars[B]
149 Traded to the Washington Commanders[D]
6 185 Traded to the Buffalo Bills[F]
189 Amaré Barno LB Virginia Tech from Commanders[D]
199 Cade Mays OG Tennessee from Raiders[G]
7 227 Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders[G]
242 Kalon Barnes CB Baylor from Patriots via Dolphins[H]

Draft trades

  1. ^ a b The Panthers traded second- and fourth-round selections (38th and 111th overall), and a 2021 sixth-round selection to the New York Jets in exchange for QB Sam Darnold.
  2. ^ a b The Panthers traded TE Dan Arnold and a third-round selection (70th overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for CB C. J. Henderson and a fifth-round selection (144th overall).[3]
  3. ^ a b The Panthers traded a fourth-round selection (137th overall) and a 2023 third-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for a third-round selection (94th overall).
  4. ^ a b c d The Panthers traded two fifth-round selections (144th and 149th overall) to the Washington Commanders in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round selections (120th and 189th overall).
  5. ^ The Panthers traded a 2021 third-round selection to the Houston Texans in exchange for a fourth-round selection (137th overall), and 2021 fourth- and fifth-round selections.
  6. ^ The Panthers traded a sixth-round selection (185th overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for DE Darryl Johnson.
  7. ^ a b The Panthers traded LB Denzel Perryman and a seventh-round selection (227th overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round selection (199th overall).
  8. ^ The Panthers traded OT Greg Little to the Miami Dolpins in exchange for a seventh-round selection (242nd overall).

Trades

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Date Trade partner Panthers traded Panthers received Notes
July 6 Cleveland Browns 2024 Conditional 5th-round selection[4] QB Baker Mayfield [5]
August 29 Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 7th-round selection
2024 6th-round selection
WR Laviska Shenault
August 29 Tennessee Titans Dennis Daley
2024 7th-round selection
2024 5th-round selection
2022 Carolina Panthers undrafted free agents
Name Position College Ref.
Josh Babicz TE North Dakota State [6]
Davis Cheek QB Elon
Isaiah Graham-Mobley LB Boston College
Drew Hartlaub S Penn State
Ra'Shaun Henry WR Virginia
Talolo Limu-Jones Eastern Kentucky
John Lovett RB Penn State
Marquan McCall DT Kentucky
Arron Mosby LB Fresno State
Andrew Parchment WR Florida State
Charleston Rambo Miami (FL)
Khalan Tolson LB Illinois
Derek Wright WR Utah State

Staff

[edit]
2022 Carolina Panthers staff

Front office

  • Owner – David Tepper
  • President – Kristi Coleman
  • General manager – Scott Fitterer
  • Assistant general manager – Dan Morgan
  • Vice president of football operations & senior advisor to ownership – Steven Drummond
  • Vice president of football administration – Samir Suleiman
  • Vice president of player personnel – Pat Stewart
  • Senior personnel executive – Jeff Morrow
  • Director of football operations – Mike Anderson
  • Director of college scouting – Cole Spencer
  • Director of pro scouting – Rob Hanrahan
  • Assistant director of pro scouting – Tyler Ramsey
  • Director of football analytics – Taylor Rajack

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Interim defensive coordinator – Al Holcomb
  • Defensive run game coordinator – Mike Siravo
  • Defensive line – Terrance Knighton
  • Assistant defensive line – Don Johnson
  • Defensive backs – Bobby Mafei
  • Defensive assistant – Rob Dvoracek

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Chris Tabor
  • Special teams assistant – Cedric Whitaker

Strength and conditioning

  • Head athletic trainer – Kevin King
  • Strength and conditioning – Jeremy Scott
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Thomas Barbeau
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Corey Campbell
  • Human performance assistant – Timothy Rabas


Final roster

[edit]
2022 Carolina Panthers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
51 active, 8 reserve, 16 practice squad

Preseason

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 13 at Washington Commanders W 23–21 1–0 Fedex Field Recap
2 August 19 at New England Patriots L 10–20 1–1 Gillette Stadium Recap
3 August 26 Buffalo Bills W 21–0 2–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap

Regular season

[edit]

Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 11 Cleveland Browns L 24–26 0–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap
2 September 18 at New York Giants L 16–19 0–2 MetLife Stadium Recap
3 September 25 New Orleans Saints W 22–14 1–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap
4 October 2 Arizona Cardinals L 16–26 1–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap
5 October 9 San Francisco 49ers L 15–37 1–4 Bank of America Stadium Recap
6 October 16 at Los Angeles Rams L 10–24 1–5 SoFi Stadium Recap
7 October 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 21–3 2–5 Bank of America Stadium Recap
8 October 30 at Atlanta Falcons L 34–37 (OT) 2–6 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
9 November 6 at Cincinnati Bengals L 21–42 2–7 Paycor Stadium Recap
10 November 10 Atlanta Falcons W 25–15 3–7 Bank of America Stadium Recap
11 November 20 at Baltimore Ravens L 3–13 3–8 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
12 November 27 Denver Broncos W 23–10 4–8 Bank of America Stadium Recap
13 Bye
14 December 11 at Seattle Seahawks W 30–24 5–8 Lumen Field Recap
15 December 18 Pittsburgh Steelers L 16–24 5–9 Bank of America Stadium Recap
16 December 24 Detroit Lions W 37–23 6–9 Bank of America Stadium Recap
17 January 1 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 24–30 6–10 Raymond James Stadium Recap
18 January 8 at New Orleans Saints W 10–7 7–10 Caesars Superdome Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 1: vs. Cleveland Browns

[edit]
Week 1: Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 17 3626
Panthers 0 7 01724

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

In the Panthers' home opener against the Cleveland Browns, they came close to winning, but the Browns were able to hold them off. Cleveland defeated Carolina 26–24, meaning the Panthers started off the season 0–1.

Week 2: at New York Giants

[edit]
Week 2: Carolina Panthers at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 6 7316
Giants 6 0 7619

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

This was head coach Matt Rhule's first return to MetLife Stadium in 10 years, as he had previously served as the Giants' asst. offensive line coach under then-head coach Tom Coughlin in 2012, a season after the Giants won their 4th Super Bowl title. Things started poorly for the Panthers when, during kick-off, Chuba Hubbard fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by the New York Giants. New York ended up scoring a field goal on the ensuing drive. When Carolina got the ball back, they would fumble again and the Giants scored another field goal. In the second quarter, Eddy Piñeiro scores two field goals for the Panthers, tying the game. Baker Mayfield makes a complete pass to D. J. Moore in the third for a touchdown. The Giants answered back with a Daniel Bellinger touch down, tying the game at 13-13 going into the 4th quarter. The Panthers only scored three points in the fourth, while New York scored 6, giving the Giants a 19-16 win, dropping the Panthers to an 0–2 record.

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

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Week 3: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saints 0 0 01414
Panthers 7 6 0922

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

The game started off well for Carolina in the first quarter when New Orleans fumbled the ball. Marquis Haynes recovered it and scored a fumble recovery touchdown for the Panthers. Carolina led by thirteen points at the half after Eddy Piñeiro kicked two field goals in the second quarter. Early in the fourth, Mark Ingram scores a touchdown for the Saints, giving them their first points of the game. Baker Mayfield completes a 67-yard pass to Laviska Shenault for a touchdown. They tried for a two-point conversion, but it failed. With 8:19 to go into the game, Piñeiro kicked another field goal for Carolina. With 2:22 remaining, Marquez Callaway scores a touchdown for the Saints, though it wasn't enough. Carolina defeated New Orleans 22–14, snapping a 9 game losing streak and improving to 1–2.

Week 4: vs. Arizona Cardinals

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Week 4: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 3 71626
Panthers 0 10 0616

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

The Cardinals end up being too much for the Panthers and defeat them 26–16. Carolina falls to 1–3.

Week 5: vs. San Francisco 49ers

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Week 5: San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
49ers 7 10 71337
Panthers 0 3 9315

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

The Panthers lose to San Francisco 15–37 and dropped to 1–4 on the year. This was head coach Matt Rhule's and defensive coordinator Phil Snow's last game with the Panthers, as both were fired in the days following the loss with Steve Wilks promoted to interim head coach. In addition, Baker Mayfield, who had another disappointing performance, was benched in favor of P. J. Walker.

Week 6: at Los Angeles Rams

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Week 6: Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 3 7 0010
Rams 0 7 10724

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Game information

Carolina started the game off with a field goal in the first. Both the Panthers and the Rams scored touchdowns in the second, leaving them up 10-7 into the half. The Panthers went scoreless in the second half, while Los Angeles took control and scored 17. The Rams defeated Carolina 24–10. For the first time since 2016, the Panthers were 1–5. This was also the last game Christian McCaffrey would play in as a player of the Panthers, as he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers on October 20, 2022.[7]

Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 0 033
Panthers 0 7 7721

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

Carolina and Tampa Bay were both scoreless in the first quarter. With 35 seconds to go in the second, P. J. Walker made a 20-yard pass to D. J. Moore for a Panthers touchdown, putting Carolina up by 7 at the half. Chuba Hubbard scored a touchdown in the third, as Ryan Succop made a field goal for the Bucs in the fourth. Walker threw it to Tommy Tremble for a game sealing touchdown. The Panthers won 21–3 and improved to 2–5.

Week 8: at Atlanta Falcons

[edit]
Week 8: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Panthers 3 7 321034
Falcons 0 14 713337

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

In a close game, the Falcons defeated Carolina 37–34 in overtime. The Panthers dropped to 2–6.

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

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Week 9: Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 0 71421
Bengals 7 28 7042

at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: November 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,160
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In the first half of this blowout, Carolina was scoreless, in part due to poor play from Walker, who posted a 0.0 passer rating, while the Cincinnati Bengals scored 5 touchdowns, four of them from Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Walker was removed from the game in favor of Mayfield, as both teams scored 7 in the third quarter. The Panthers went on to score 14 in the fourth, and even though Cincinnati went scoreless, the Bengals kept their comfortable lead and won 42–21. Carolina fell to 2–7.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons

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Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 3 6615
Panthers 3 10 6625

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

Carolina sought revenge against Atlanta in this Thursday Night Football game after losing in a heartbreaker 11 days prior. The Panthers got their chance, winning 25–15 and improving to 3–7.

Week 11: at Baltimore Ravens

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Week 11: Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 0 303
Ravens 0 3 01013

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: November 20
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 36 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,677
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Baker returned from the bench in a 13–3 low scoring affair that saw Carolina fall to 3–8. This was also the last game he'd play for the Panthers, as Sam Darnold was healthy enough to return, and Mayfield would soon be released by the Panthers, signing with the Rams.

Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos

[edit]
Week 12: Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Broncos 0 3 0710
Panthers 7 3 7623

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

Darnold's first start in the season saw the Panthers beat the Broncos for the first time since the 2008 season in a 23-10 score. The Panthers improved to 4-8.

Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks

[edit]
Week 14: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 10 10 01030
Seahawks 0 14 3724

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

Carolina defeated Seattle for the first time since 2015, winning 30–24. The Panthers improved to 5–8, and with a Buccaneers loss, also allowed them control of their own destiny, meaning they were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs if they could win out.

Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

[edit]
Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 7 7 7324
Panthers 0 7 0916

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

Mitchell Trubisky and the Pittsburgh Steelers were too much for Carolina, defeating them 24–16. The Panthers fell to 5–9, yet still maintained control of their destiny.

Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions

[edit]
Week 16: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 0 61023
Panthers 7 17 7637

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 20 °F (−7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,173
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

On Christmas Eve, the Panthers ran all over the Detroit Lions, beating them 37–23, as well as setting new franchise records in rushing yards in a game and total yards in a game. Carolina improved to 6–9, improving on their 5 win totals from the previous three seasons.

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[edit]
Week 17: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 7 7 01024
Buccaneers 0 10 02030

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

In a must win game, the Panthers visited the Buccaneers, and held a 14-0 lead at one point, but the Buccaneers were able to recover and win 30–24. Carolina fell to 6–10 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 18: at New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Week 18: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 7 0310
Saints 7 0 007

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: January 8
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 70,118
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox): Jason Benetti, Matt Millen and Megan Olivi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Panthers are able to hold the Saints to a touchdown and win 10–7. They finished the season 7–10, capping off the first season since 2018 the Panthers won more than 5 games.

Standings

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Division

[edit]
NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8 9 0 .471 4–2 8–4 313 358 L1
Carolina Panthers 7 10 0 .412 4–2 6–6 347 374 W1
New Orleans Saints 7 10 0 .412 2–4 5–7 330 345 L1
Atlanta Falcons 7 10 0 .412 2–4 6–6 365 386 W2

Conference

[edit]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Philadelphia Eagles East 14 3 0 .824 4–2 9–3 .474 .460 W1
2[a] San Francisco 49ers West 13 4 0 .765 6–0 10–2 .417 .414 W10
3[a] Minnesota Vikings North 13 4 0 .765 4–2 8–4 .474 .425 W1
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 8 9 0 .471 4–2 8–4 .503 .426 L1
Wild cards
5 Dallas Cowboys East 12 5 0 .706 4–2 8–4 .507 .485 L1
6 New York Giants East 9 7 1 .559 1–4–1 4–7–1 .526 .395 L1
7[b] Seattle Seahawks West 9 8 0 .529 4–2 6–6 .462 .382 W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[b] Detroit Lions North 9 8 0 .529 5–1 7–5 .535 .451 W2
9 Washington Commanders East 8 8 1 .500 2–3–1 5–6–1 .536 .449 W1
10 Green Bay Packers North 8 9 0 .471 3–3 6–6 .524 .449 L1
11[c] Carolina Panthers South 7 10 0 .412 4–2 6–6 .474 .437 W1
12[c][d] New Orleans Saints South 7 10 0 .412 2–4 5–7 .507 .462 L1
13[c][d] Atlanta Falcons South 7 10 0 .412 2–4 6–6 .467 .429 W2
14 Los Angeles Rams West 5 12 0 .294 1–5 3–9 .517 .341 L2
15 Arizona Cardinals West 4 13 0 .235 1–5 3–9 .529 .368 L7
16 Chicago Bears North 3 14 0 .176 0–6 1–11 .571 .480 L10
Tiebreakers[e]
  1. ^ a b San Francisco finished ahead of Minnesota based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  2. ^ a b Seattle finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
  3. ^ a b c Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans and Atlanta based on head-to-head record (3–1 vs. 2–2/1–3).
  4. ^ a b New Orleans finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head sweep.
  5. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

References

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  1. ^ "Panthers part ways with head coach Matt Rhule". panthers.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  2. ^ "Panthers blow fourth-quarter lead, officially eliminated with loss to Tampa Bay". www.wbtv.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Patra, Kevin (September 27, 2021). "Jaguars trade 2020 first-round CB C.J. Henderson to Panthers for TE Dan Arnold". NFL.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Dependent on Mayfield's playing time in 2022
  5. ^ Shook, Nick (July 6, 2022). "Browns trading Baker Mayfield to Panthers for 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick". Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  6. ^ "Panthers agree to terms with 2022 undrafted free agents". panthers.com. Carolina Panthers. May 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Panthers trade Christian McCaffrey to 49ers". Panthers.com. October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
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