In 2024, the Carolina Panthers signed guard Robert Hunt to a massive five-year, $100 million deal. He'd make good on that pact right away, establishing himself as one of the NFL's top interior offensive linemen en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.
But now, here in 2026, that version of Hunt seems far gone.
ESPN's Mike Kaye has cooked up five possible moves the Panthers might be able to make ahead of next week's trade deadline. He tabs Hunt as one of two players the team could trade away, and suggests that a returning Brady Christensen would be capable of filling the void:
Christensen had the best stretch of his career at right guard, while filling in for Hunt, in the middle of last season, and with the interior line trade market fielding high demands
-- Cam Jurgens and Quenton Nelson both warranted historic hauls in midseason swaps -- it might make sense to at least consider moving on from the 2024 Pro Bowl lineman. Trading Hunt would open up $19 million in cap space next year, per Over The Cap.
That's an awfully appealing chunk of cash, especially considering Hunt's perplexing struggles. Not only is he having trouble keeping away from the dirty laundry with six penalties through seven games, but he's also allowed 18 sacks—the most amongst all right guards.
Kaye, however, provided some pretty good reasoning as to why the Panthers wouldn't ship off Hunt—noting their string of injuries along the trench as well as the uncertainty his absence may bring.
As for Christensen, he was designated to return to practice on Tuesday after missing the first eight weeks of the regular season with a hamstring injury. He was listed as a full participant on Wednesday.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Could the Panthers dump struggling Pro Bowler at trade deadline?
