Panthers QB search continues after Deshaun Watson attempt

Those moves won’t move the needle like making a big move at quarterback.

But they could help lay the foundation for a time when that will matter.

There’s not an immediate answer to the long-term question at the position, not after the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson, not after the Packers held onto Aaron Rodgers. The free agent market doesn’t include much beyond stop-gaps, though the Panthers might need to add one to compete in 2022.

The bigger job will be looking to the future and deciding the best path.

Since they didn’t trade it to Houston, the Panthers still have the sixth overall pick in the draft. That likely gives them the choice of any quarterback available this year, whether it’s the high-floor Kenny Pickett, or the high-ceiling Malik Willis.

But the right answer might also be not insisting on taking either one now.

General manager Scott Fitterer acknowledged at the Scouting Combine that he’s weighing this year’s crop of rookie quarterbacks against the 2023 class, taking the long view of a difficult task.

“You always want to look ahead; what does it look like in the future?” Fitterer said. “Because the one thing we want to do, we want to build it the right way and not force something. We don’t want to make the mistake of, ‘Oh, we need this right now. Let’s fix this right now.’ Let’s keep the big picture in mind and know what it looks like a year or two out.”