Carolina Panthers rookie third-round pick Matt Corral was hoping to use this part of the offseason to prove he can be a starter out of the gate.
Unfortunately, the Mississippi product is away from Carolina’s organized team activities as he deals with what’s being described as a family tragedy.
“We told him to take some time. And worry about him and his family right now,” Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said of Corral’s absence.
There’s no further information when it comes to what happened. The idea here is to respect Corral and his privacy during what is obviously a hard time for the family. We will update that aspect of the story when more information becomes available.
Related: Matt Corral and top NFL rookie QBs
Impact of Matt Corral’s absence
As for the rookie signal caller, he was selected No. 94 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft this past spring after a heralded college career with Mississippi.
The hope for the 23-year-old is that he will be able to compete with Sam Darnold and others for the starting job out of the gate. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.
“The one thing we’re looking to do is stabilize the position. It’s been up and down, up and down. We’re bringing in Matt Corral. P.J. Walker‘s already here. We’ll see how it goes. He’s in the lead right now, but until someone really owns that position, gives us an opportunity to win, it will always be up for grabs.”
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer on Matt Corral and the QB position, via Pro Football Talk
Our own Crissy Froyd just recenly penned an in-depth piece on Corral could jumpstart the Panthers’ turnaround after some major struggles on the part of Darnold a season ago.
There’s renewed hope that the team has finally solved its issues long-term. This comes after Carolina was linked to both Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo in trade talks.
While we hate to focus on the football aspect of Corral’s absence, he needs all the reps he can get during the offseason and training camp.