Phil Snow Explains Plan for Jeremy Chinn for 2022 Season & Beyond

After two positions in two seasons, it seems as if the Panthers' young star has settled in at one spot.

Many of the Panthers' biggest offseason questions lie on the offensive side of the ball, however, there is one thing that the fan base has been about since the 2021 season came to an end - where will Jeremy Chinn play in 2022?

As a rookie, Chinn exploded onto the scene and took the NFL by storm, playing a hybrid linebacker/safety role that featured him in the box the vast majority of the time. That season, he tallied 107 tackles, five pass breakups, five QB hits, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. It didn't take very long to realize that Chinn was going to be a very good player and someone that this team could build around for years to come. 

The Panthers drafted him as a safety, but after playing him down in the box in year one, there was some speculation if he would ever play in the back end full-time. Well, defensive coordinator Phil Snow wanted to strengthen the secondary and limit the beating that Chinn would take by playing him away from the ball. He put up very similar numbers in 2021, which proved he can be just as valuable at safety. 

When the team signed Xavier Woods in free agency, it felt like a move that would allow Chinn to move back into the role that he played as a rookie. Instead, the signing was to further strengthen the secondary and give Chinn some help over the top. Snow told reporters earlier this week that the plan is to keep Chinn at safety. 

“Well, Coach Wilks came in and I said Steve, I want you to watch Jeremy and tell me what you think. He said, ‘Coach, I think he can be an All-Pro safety.’ My feeling was the same after one year playing safety. I think if we just settle him in at the safety position and all the different stuff we do with the safeties, he’s going to be a really effective and great Panther back there. I’m excited about Jeremy staying back there.”

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