On Saturday, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said replacing kicker Zane Gonzalez was a “major thing for us.” And judging by the steps they took on Monday, he wasn’t kidding.
In addition to bringing in Brian Johnson and Eddy Piñeiro for a workout earlier today, the Panthers also called in three other legs for a look. That bunch included Chase McLaughlin, Matthew Wright and Taylor Bertolet.
McLaughlin may be the more familiar name to many, as he’s a well-traveled veteran of just three seasons. The 26-year-old has kicked for six different organizations since 2019—including the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.
He stuck around for 16 games in Cleveland this past season, converting on 15 of his 21 field goal attempts and 36 of his 37 extra point tries.
Wright has kicked for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jaguars in his two seasons while Bertolet, who hasn’t recorded an official NFL try, spent a number of weeks on the Panthers’ practice squad in 2020.
