INDIANAPOLIS — The Panthers’ ongoing quest to acquire a potential franchise quarterback led them to Indianapolis this week. And while their main focus has been on the notable draft prospects at the annual NFL combine, the Carolina brain trust decided to take a slight detour on Tuesday, as the group — led by head coach Frank Reich, GM Scott Fitterer and owner David Tepper — met with veteran free-agent quarterback Derek Carr.
Fitterer called the meeting a “feeling out process,” which also included assistant GM Dan Morgan, VP of Football Administration Samir Suleiman and Nicole Tepper, the chief administrative officer of Tepper Sports and Entertainment. That process, which started with an earlier phone call and the in-person meeting, will continue next week with a phone conversation.
“We’re going to talk again,” Fitterer said Wednesday. “I said we’d catch up, probably Monday of next week. We can talk at any time in between — he’s a free agent. We need to get our questions answered this week and then we will talk again.”
Carr was released by the Las Vegas Raiders last month. During Carr’s nine years with the Raiders, he threw for 35,222 yards, 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions while earning four Pro Bowl nods.
On paper, Carr would present a major upgrade over the turnstile of veteran retread quarterbacks that Carolina paraded around in the wake of Cam Newton’s initial departure from the franchise in 2020. The Matt Rhule era led to a revolving door at the position, and Fitterer and Tepper — with Reich now in place — are looking to stop the spin cycle.
“The nice thing with Derek is he’s going to be 32 years old, so that’s kind of prime quarterback years,” Reich said. “So there’s still a good five-year window there.”
The Panthers are part of a seemingly wide-open NFC South. The quarterback position is in flux for all four franchises within the division, and the Panthers are positioned to pounce on the competition.
However, just because the Panthers might have a leg up in Reich’s first season at the helm, it doesn’t mean the organization will force another veteran quarterback onto the roster.
“We’re like every team — we want to win the division next year,” Reich said. “But you have to look beyond that as well.”
The Panthers have spent the week interviewing quarterback prospects. The team has met with Kentucky’s Will Levis, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young — the consensus top four quarterbacks in the class — along with TCU’s Max Duggan and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.
Reich wouldn’t rule out the Panthers double-dipping at the position. The head coach is open to a scenario where Carolina signs a veteran quarterback and also drafts a rookie prospect.
“I think all options would be on the table,” Reich said. “We’re going to do what we think is best for our team — both in the near-term and long-term.”
If the Panthers were to chase the likes of Young, Stroud, Richardson and Levis, Fitterer would likely need to work the phones for a potential trade-up scenario. Fitterer believes conviction is the key when pursuing a quarterback, either in the draft or free agency.
“You have to be aggressive,” Fitterer said. “If you have a guy that you have conviction on, go get him. You don’t want to be reckless, but you want to look to see what’s been done in the past, and if you have to give up some assets to go get him . . . This might be the year to something like that.”
Carr’s timeline for a decision on his next team is “the sooner, the better,” according to Fitterer. However, the Panthers won’t rush to make a move without taking a detailed dive into the draft class.
If that means missing out on Carr — who reportedly has interest from the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets — so be it. Fitterer and the front office have other options that they like in the draft.
“There are several quarterbacks that we like — it’s not just one that we’re locked in on,” Fitterer said. “When you talk about having conviction on a guy, it’s not just one.”
