As the Panthers scrambled to find capable wide receivers last season when star Kelvin Benjamin was injured, they put a certain amount of trust in veteran Jerricho Cotchery.
For the most part, he earned that trust, though his two drops in the Super Bowl were a difficult memory to carry into the offseason.
“If you’re in this game long enough, you’re going to have those moments where you can look back and say, ‘Man, I should’ve made that play and if I would’ve made that play, this would’ve happened,” Cotchery said, via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review. “The other night will be no different.”
While there’s some debating his first drop of the Super Bowl (Hey, at least Mike Carey thought it was a catch!), the second was clear, and forced the Panthers to settle for a field goal attempt that doinked off the upright.
Now comes the question of whether the Panthers will offer him a chance to return, as the 33-year-old’s about to become an unrestricted free agent. Asked if he wanted to return, he said yes, with a condition.
“For Carolina,” he said. “This is a special place, but I don’t know what the future holds right now, especially at this point in time in my career. I just don’t know anything. . . .
“I do know this — coming back here the past two years have just been tremendously wonderful for me. Bringing my wife back down to her home state and just playing ball here again, being before these fans, it’s been wonderful.”
But as the Panthers move forward, they might look for a guy with younger legs, if not better hands.