Ryan Kalil Coming Back from Retirement is a Betrayal to Carolina

Ryan Kalil Returning From Retirement

Following what could only be described as Favre-ian behavior, former Panthers center Ryan Kalil has announced that he will be un-retiring from the NFL and will sign with the New York Jets, per NFL’s Ian Rappaport.

The move is a bit of a stunner for Panthers fans, who seemed to believe the 12-year vet was pretty much finished with his NFL playing career following the disappointing 2018 season.

Even more shocking is his decision to sign with the Jets, who for the last decade have been considered one of the bottom feeder teams of the NFL.

The former Trojan does bring some valuable experience to what is considered a very young offensive line, but the issue is mainly that Kalil’s retirement put the Panthers in a position of need very early in free agency.

Ramifications of Kalil’s Retirement

One of the biggest ramifications of Kalil’s initial retirement was it opened up a huge hole, both in terms of depth and experience, on the offensive line which already had issues going into the 2018 season.

One of the Panthers’ major off season moves, which was signing Matt Paradis to a 3-year, $27-million contract, could have been avoided had the pro bowl center stayed.

Another issue was the Panthers lacked the experience on the offensive line to allow the Panthers sign younger offensive tackles following the release of Kalil’s younger brother Matt.

Instead the former USC Trojan retired and eventually changed his mind and signed with a team that has far less talent and a less experience on the roster.

Kalil Made a Poor Choice Signing with the Jets

Personally, if Kalil was like most older players in the NFL, he should’ve signed with a team that has a better shot of making it to the Super Bowl, such as the Kansas City Chiefs or the Los Angeles Rams.

While the Jets will be much better than they were last season, they still aren’t at the point where they will be competing for Super Bowls just yet. Kansas City and Los Angeles both are ready to compete for Super Bowls right now, making them a better fit for Kalil in terms of winning championships.

Regardless, we wish Ryan the best of luck in his season with the Jets, although the betrayal does sting a bit.