We’re counting down the days until the Panthers kick off the 2022 season.
We’re 69 days away from the Panthers 2022 season opener, so that means today’s countdown piece is devoted to No. 69 on the roster — defensive end Frank Herron.
Herron has kept his real estate agent busy. He entered the NFL in 2018 after being signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots but was released during roster cuts. He was subsequently signed to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad just a few days later but only spent nine days in Seattle before getting waived. A couple of weeks later the Patriots came calling once again and Herron spent the rest of the 2018 season on New England’s practice squad.
In 2019 he bounced around between the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions before making the Lions 53-man roster and appearing in three games with six tackles. He returned to Detroit in 2020 and played in four games with five tackles.
Herron then signed a 1-year deal with the Panthers in 2021. He spent the majority of last season on Carolina’s practice squad where his most noteworthy contribution was being suspended for two games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. He was activated in Week 18 and played eight defensive snaps and two special teams snaps in his only regular season action as a Panther. Carolina signed him to a reserve/future contract in January 2022.
This will likely be a make-or-break year for Frank Herron. He enters the 2022 season as a 28-year-old veteran with just 12 career tackles on his resume. If he doesn’t take a massive step forward during training camp then it’s probably smarter to give his reps to younger players and let them gain experience.
That said, Herron will have every opportunity to make the 53-man roster with the lack of depth the Panthers have at defensive end, but if he doesn’t capitalize this year, it may be his last chance.
What do you think? Will this be the season Herron finally breaks out? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.