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Jimmy Clausen era Panthers ranked among worst teams in modern NFL history

The Carolina Panthers had 10 starts from Jimmy Clausen in the 2010 NFL season.
Jeremy Brener|
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen gets pressured by Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen gets pressured by Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus. | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

It's been 15 years since the Carolina Panthers tried to trot out Jimmy Clausen as their franchise quarterback.

Clausen was decent in college, ending up as a second-round pick by the Panthers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

However, Clausen didn't look the part in the pros, leading the Panthers to a 2-14 record in the season. Yardbarker writer Sam Robinson named the 2010 Panthers the 13th-worst team in the NFL's modern era.

"In between the Jake Delhomme and Cam Newton eras, the Panthers went through a rough autumn," Robinson wrote.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen throws a pass during warmups for their game against the New York Jets
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen throws a pass during warmups for their game against the New York Jets. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

"Forced to use one-time elite recruit Jimmy Clausen and future QB2 mainstay Matt Moore, Carolina finished with a minus-212 point differential. These Panthers combined for nine TD passes and had four games with fewer than 80 passing yards. The Panthers (2-14) finished two games worse than anyone else that year.

"A second-round rookie, Clausen was done as a starter after this season. And former NFC champion coach John Fox was out after nine years. This season led to the Panthers taking Newton atop a loaded 2011 draft."

While Clausen's rookie season with the Panthers was abysmal, it led the team to Newton, who went on to become the best quarterback in franchise history up until this point.

Newton won the 2015 NFL MVP award and helped the Panthers reach Super Bowl 50, where they lost to the Denver Broncos.

Clausen served as Newton's backup until 2013 before closing out his career with brief stints with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens in 2014 and 2015.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen throws the ball during the second half against the against the Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen throws the ball during the second half against the against the Chicago Bears. | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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