If Panthers would rather have Kyle Allen than look at Colin Kaepernick, they’ve given up

The alleged explanation for the Carolina Panthers not even bothering to observe Colin Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta on Saturday was that they’re not interesting in adding “a veteran quarterback.”

Anyone who observed Kyle Allen throw four interceptions for the Panthers against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday — while being sacked four times — would be within their rights to ask why not.

At this point, there’s only one sensible explanation for the Panthers not even going through the motions of taking a look at Kaepernick, and it’s got very little to do with Kaepernick.

This is, after all, a franchise and an owner willing to bring Eric Reid aboard, no less of a player-slash-activist than Kaepernick, albeit without the same degree of attention. Even if the Panthers plan to trade Cam Newton after the season and start over, why not try anything and everything to salvage this one?

The only rational explanation is that owner David Tepper is willing to let the general manager and coach he inherited when he bought the team 16 months ago sink or swim and see what happens.

After Sunday’s 29-3 loss, if he wanted an excuse to clean house, he’s got one.

Would Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney deserve that fate? Even after unforgivable home losses within the division to the Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there’s an equally good argument to be made that they don’t. Losing Newton for the season is as big of a get-out-of-jail-free card as any staff is ever going to get, even if they failed to adequately address the situation once he took that fateful false step in the preseason.

But as a wise man once said, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.”

When the Panthers started 0-2 with Newton, the surly vibe of the locker room was one of veteran players with the savvy to see the end coming from a long way away. The few wins with Allen at quarterback were like air freshener, covering the smell without getting rid of the source.

Then came Sunday, which just stunk.

Not just Allen. The offensive line. The defense. Special teams.

Only Christian McCaffrey shone, and even that’s a double-edged sword at this point. His MVP candidacy may actually work to the Panthers’ long-term detriment. NFL running backs are like brake pads. Every stop grinds a little bit away. Once they’re down to the metal, there’s nothing left. There’s a finite number of touches in any running back’s career. Why should the Panthers waste any more of McCaffrey’s on this season?

It was 20-0 at the half and should probably have been 35-0. Allen can’t be blamed for the savagely bad performance by the offensive line or the passes Christian McCaffrey and Reggie Bonnafon dropped, but the three interceptions before the break were entirely on him. The Falcons intercepted two passes in their first nine games. They had that many in the first 20 minutes Sunday. Allen has thrown triple the interceptions (nine) as touchdown passes (three) over the past four games. (He has also been sacked 17 times.)

Nice guy? Sure. Tries hard? Absolutely. It’s easy to root for Allen to succeed and savor it when he has, especially among the too-vocal segment of Panthers fans who have never liked Newton, but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that the best-case scenario with Allen under center is “first, do no harm” and that his skill set is woefully limited by NFL standards.

Even if it is someone other than Kaepernick, the Panthers have nothing to lose — other than most, if not all, of their last six games — by bringing in a veteran quarterback.

Unless it has been Tepper’s plan all along to let Rivera sink or swim, to not throw good money after bad, to stay quiet at the trade deadline, to see where this all goes without Newton. Even if that means starting over from scratch.

This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 4:20 PM.

Luke DeCock

The News & Observer

Luke DeCock is a former journalist for the News & Observer.