Carolina Panthers challenge rookie quarterback Matt Corral

Adjusting to life in the NFL won’t be easy for Matt Corral, but the Carolina Panthers have every bit of faith in their rookie quarterback. Corral starred on the college stage for the past two seasons at Ole Miss, and now he is ready to show what he can do as a pro.

Although the Panthers are hopeful Corral can eventually develop into an starter, they aren’t pushing him to do so by this season. With the second week of OTAs concluding this past week, it’s clear that Corral still has a long way to go to be NFL-ready.

“It’s a different game up here,” Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said Wednesday. “That’s not to take anything away from college football. I think they did a great job with him. … The biggest thing really, when you get these guys up here, it’s from the time the whistle blows till the ball is snapped on the next play is where he needs to spend his most time right now. Communication is a big part of it.”

Corral finished this past season seventh in Heisman Trophy voting after throwing for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He helped the Rebels rank as the No. 1 offense in the SEC with 492.8 yards per game. His talent as a quarterback is not in question, he just needs to get used to how the NFL operates.

Sam Darnold is currently listed as the QB1 on Carolina’s depth chart and has the inside track to be the starter Week 1. A major part of why is his experience, as he started 11 games for the Panthers in 2021. McAdoo said Corral’s biggest challenge so far has been adjusting to plays being called via headset rather than from a coach on the sidelines.

“Really, it’s like he’s trying to learn a different language he hasn’t spoken,” McAdoo said. “Now he’s learning the way we do things. We have a lot in the offense, and there’s verbal and visual cues he has to learn. It’s going to take some time.”

The road ahead is a long one, but the Panthers wants to make sure Matt Corral is ready for the responsibility. With his new coaches and teammates on his side, the quarterback is ready to put in the work.

“It’s not going to be easy for him. It’s going to be a challenge,” McAdoo said. “I’m not here to make it easy for him. I’m going to make it hard on him so when he does have a chance to play and get into the games, he’s ready to go.”