The Sad Story of Ted Ginn, Jr and the Carolina Panthers

Ted Ginn’s time in Carolina shouldn’t be a sad memory. It wasn’t for him, anyway. His best years as a pro were in Carolina. He was an integral part of the 2015 Super Bowl team and, although there is the sting of loss, that season represents the pinnacle of Carolina and his as a receiver. There’s a sad side to Ginn and Carolina, however. Frankly, Ginn was an average player and, as Joe Menzer once stated, “one of the most frustrating players to watch.” The saddest part is that Ginn is arguably a Top-5 wideout in Carolina history. Sure, some have had better overall careers, but it’s hard to find five players who produced more in their time in black and blue than Ginn. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad top the list, and three consecutive 1000-yard receiving seasons earn DJ Moore the third stop. After him, things get murky. Number four is debatable between names like Ricky Proehl and Mark Carrier, but that discussion is based more on outside notoriety rather than what they did in Carolina. Then come the names like Brandon Lafell, Ted Ginn, Jr., Kelvin Benjamin, and even Devin Funchess. This is when it gets really depressing. I don’t want this to be a hit piece on Ginn, but the simple fact that he is among names in contention for a Top 5 wideout says a lot. The only consensus outside of the top three is mediocrity.

Carolina’s history is short, but it feels like forever since they fielded a formidable wide receiver group. Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammad are the only ones of note outside of tight Greg Olsen, which only makes the narrative more depressing. Almost as soon as the Panthers lost that 2003 Super Bowl, they started trying to recreate that type of magic, and it’s been underwhelming. Smitty’s personality probably didn’t help to bring along a younger talent. The blankest of stares from Dywane Jarrett probably called for unparalleled restraining from Smith. Outside Smith and Muhammad, the Panthers have never had a guy who was a significant contributor other than DJ Moore. That’s why trading Moore to the Bears hurts so much. Moore may not have found the endzone while in Carolina, but he’s been the most productive wideout fielded since they released Steve Smith.

Receiving Table

Rk	Player	From	To	G	AV	Tgt	Rec	Ctch%	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	Y/Tgt	R/G	Y/G	Fmb
1	Steve Smith Sr.	2001	2013	182	120	1440	836	58.1%	12197	14.6	67	80	8.5	4.6	67.0	32
2	Muhsin Muhammad	1996	2009	155	90	1187	696	58.6%	9255	13.3	50	72	7.8	4.5	59.7	14
3	Greg Olsen	2011	2019	126	58	838	524	62.5%	6463	12.3	39	78	7.7	4.2	51.3	3
4	D.J. Moore	2018	2022	80	43	616	364	59.1%	5201	14.3	21	82	8.4	4.6	65.0	7
5	Wesley Walls	1996	2002	98	39	552	324	58.7%	3902	12.0	44	54	7.1	3.3	39.8	1
6	Christian McCaffrey	2017	2022	64	53	482	390	80.9%	3292	8.4	18	49	6.8	6.1	51.4	8
7	Mark Carrier	1995	1998	57	23	347	176	50.7%	2547	14.5	13	66	7.3	3.1	44.7	1
8	Kelvin Benjamin	2014	2017	40	19	314	168	53.5%	2424	14.4	18	51	7.7	4.2	60.6	2
9	Brandon LaFell	2010	2013	60	22	294	167	56.8%	2385	14.3	13	91	8.1	2.8	39.8	2
10	Devin Funchess	2015	2018	61	21	311	161	51.8%	2233	13.9	21	52	7.2	2.6	36.6	1
11	Curtis Samuel	2017	2020	53	19	293	185	63.1%	2087	11.3	14	53	7.1	3.5	39.4	2
12	Ted Ginn Jr.	2013	2016	47	22	260	134	51.5%	2047	15.3	19	88	7.9	2.9	43.6	3
13	Donald Hayes	1998	2001	51	18	254	132	52.0%	1855	14.1	7	56	7.3	2.6	36.4	2

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/29/2023.

In 2013 I was at a sports bar talking to a friend about how the speedy Ginn had the potential to jumpstart the Carolina Panthers offense. Carolina was playing the Dolphins that day. A Miami fan sitting close by overheard the conversation and leaned in, and simply stated, “He’s got stone hands.” He wasn’t trying to be mean, perhaps a bit direct, but he was only being honest. He was right. Ginn finished the day with only three catches for 11 yards on ten targets. Ginn did have stone hands and continuously dropped wide-open catch after wide-open catch while in Carolina. Hell, if Ginn had average hands, he would have likely been among the top-three receivers in team history. Carolina wouldn’t have let him walk in 2016, either. Ginn did two stints with the Panthers, a year in 2013 and then in 2015-16. In that time, he had 134 receptions for 2,047 and 19 TDs. Devin Funchess was the only receiver of Panthers players with more yards than Ginn (outside of Smith and Muhammad) that had more touchdowns, and that was only by 2 with an additional season of play. Ginn played fewer games than all the players who exceeded him in yards except Kelvin Benjamin.

Tedd Ginn, Jr

Receiving & Rushing Table

					Game	Game	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt
2013	28	CAR	WR	19	16	2	68	36	556	15.4	5	24	47	2.3	34.8	52.9%	8.2
2015	30	CAR	WR	19	15	13	97	44	739	16.8	10	36	74	2.9	49.3	45.4%	7.6
2016	31	CAR	WR	19	16	8	95	54	752	13.9	4	27	88	3.4	47.0	56.8%	7.9
Care	Care				193	83	760	412	5742	13.9	33	252	88	2.1	29.8	54.2%	7.6
3 yr	3 yr	CAR			47	23	260	134	2047	15.3	19	87	88	2.9	43.6	51.5%	7.9

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/29/2023.

Ricky Proehl

Receiving & Rushing Table

					Game	Game	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt
2003	35	CAR	WR	81	16	2	52	27	389	14.4	4	16	66	1.7	24.3	51.9%	7.5
2004	36	CAR	WR	81	16	3	70	34	497	14.6	0	25	34	2.1	31.1	48.6%	7.1
2005	37	CAR	WR	81	16	0	50	25	441	17.6	4	19	69	1.6	27.6	50.0%	8.8
Care	Care				244	109	994	669	8878	13.3	54	300	78	2.7	36.4	56.1%	7.4
3 yr	3 yr	CAR			48	5	172	86	1327	15.4	8	60	69	1.8	27.6	50.0%	7.7

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/29/2023.

Devin Funchess

Receiving & Rushing Table

					Game	Game	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt
2015	21	CAR	WR	17	16	5	63	31	473	15.3	5	24	52	1.9	29.6	49.2%	7.5
2016	22	CAR	WR	17	15	7	58	23	371	16.1	4	20	48	1.5	24.7	39.7%	6.4
2017	23	CAR	WR	17	16	16	111	63	840	13.3	8	40	44	3.9	52.5	56.8%	7.6
2018	24	CAR	WR	17	14	12	79	44	549	12.5	4	35	27	3.1	39.2	55.7%	6.9
Care	Care				62	41	316	164	2265	13.8	21	121	52	2.6	36.5	51.9%	7.2
4 yr	4 yr	CAR			61	40	311	161	2233	13.9	21	119	52	2.6	36.6	51.8%	7.2

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/29/2023.

It’s probably time to step back from the ledge because it gets worse. Carolina may have the worst receiving corps history in the NFL. If we were simply to compare receivers based on yards and touchdowns, Carolina falls behind even Jacksonville. Both the Jaguars and the Panthers came as expansion teams. Carolina has had far more success, making two Super Bowl appearances, but the Jaguars aren’t incredibly far behind. Jacksonville has made it to the AFC Championship three times. They haven’t made it to the Super Bowl, but they have had some runs and a better overall history of receivers than the Carolina Panthers. Steve Smith is the only reason the Panthers have any semblance of a respectable receiving corps history. Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith was on a similar trajectory as Smitty, just with a slightly shorter career. I guess the Smiths just make for pretty damn good receivers.

Steve Smith, Sr.

Receiving & Rushing Table

					Game	Game	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt
Care	Care				219	198	1748	1031	14731	14.3	81	648	80	4.7	67.3	59.0%	8.4

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/29/2023.

Jimmy Smith

Receiving & Rushing Table

					Game	Game	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	1D	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt
Care	Care				178	150	1463	862	12287	14.3	67	579	75	4.8	69.0	58.9%	8.4

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/29/2023.

There is one team who has a sadder story than Carolina at wide receiver, and that’s the Chicago Bears. Their all-time pass catcher was Johnny Morris, with only had 5,059 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he was a running back who last played in 197. Their next best is Alshon Jeffery, with only 4,945 and 26 touchdowns. Talk about a miserable history at the position. It’s a litany of unimpressive stats, and the only ones that turn out to be worth talking about are either tight ends or running backs or played before the 1960s. Before Carolina fans start laughing at Bears fans’ expense, it’s humbling to remember that without Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammed, the Bears and the Panthers' history is a bunch of a bunch of competing Ted Ginn, Jrs. -- sub 3k receivers who really mediocre at best.

Receiving Table

Rk	Player	From	To	G	Pos	AV	Tgt	Rec	Ctch%	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	Y/Tgt	R/G	Y/G	Fmb
3	Alshon Jeffery	2012	2016	63	WR	37	529	304	57.5%	4549	15.0	26	80	8.6	4.8	72.2	5
6	Curtis Conway	1993	1999	92	WR	44	607	329	54.2%	4498	13.7	31	85	7.4	3.6	48.9	7
8	Marty Booker	1999	2008	82	WR	35	586	329	56.1%	3895	11.8	25	66	6.6	4.0	47.5	5
9	Willie Gault	1983	1987	76	WR	37		184		3650	19.8	27	87		2.4	48.0	3
11	Allen Robinson	2018	2021	57	WR	30	465	293	63.0%	3561	12.2	18	49	7.7	5.1	62.5	1
12	Dick Gordon	1965	1971	97	WR	42		238		3550	14.9	35	93		2.5	36.6	10
13	Brandon Marshall	2012	2014	45	WR	32	462	279	60.4%	3524	12.6	31	56	7.6	6.2	78.3	3
14	James Scott	1976	1983	71	WR	39		177		3202	18.1	20	72		2.5	45.1	2
17	Wendell Davis	1988	1993	81	WR	30	130	207		3000	14.5	14	75		2.6	37.0	3
18	Dennis McKinnon	1983	1989	85	WR	31		180		2840	15.8	21	76		2.1	33.4	16
19	Bobby Engram	1996	2000	62	WR	22	423	246	58.2%	2831	11.5	17	79	6.7	4.0	45.7	7
21	Devin Hester	2006	2013	123	PR	49	390	217	55.6%	2807	12.9	14	81	7.2	1.8	22.8	34
24	Marcus Robinson	1998	2002	51	WR	20	351	187	53.3%	2695	14.4	20	80	7.7	3.7	52.8	1
26	Earl Bennett	2008	2013	78	WR	20	295	185	62.7%	2277	12.3	12	71	7.7	2.4	29.2	4
27	Jeff Graham	1994	1995	32	WR	24	238	150	63.0%	2245	15.0	8	76	9.4	4.7	70.2	4
29	Johnny Knox	2009	2011	45	WR	21	249	133	53.4%	2214	16.6	12	81	8.9	3.0	49.2	5
Rk	Player	From	To	G	Pos	AV	Tgt	Rec	Ctch%	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	Y/Tgt	R/G	Y/G	Fmb
30	Bernard Berrian	2004	2007	58	WR	16	299	150	50.2%	2197	14.6	13	62	7.3	2.6	37.9	4
31	Muhsin Muhammad	2005	2007	47	WR	18	334	164	49.1%	2183	13.3	12	44	6.5	3.5	46.4	1
32	Darnell Mooney	2020	2022	45	WR	21	299	182	60.9%	2179	12.0	10	64	7.3	4.0	48.4	1
35	Tom Waddle	1989	1994	60	WR	19	183	173		2109	12.2	9	68		2.9	35.2	4
36	Dennis Gentry	1982	1992	159	WR	28	30	171		2076	12.1	7	80		1.1	13.1	12
37	Brian Baschnagel	1976	1984	129	WR	22		134		2024	15.1	9	72		1.0	15.7	7
38	Ron Morris	1987	1992	66	WR	20	10	121		1991	16.5	9	67		1.8	30.2	1
39	Greg Olsen	2007	2010	62	TE	17	326	194	59.5%	1981	10.2	20	52	6.1	3.1	32.0	4
40	George Farmer	1970	1975	64	WR	21		113		1909	16.9	10	85		1.8	29.8	2

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/1/2023.

This wasn’t a fun reflection about the Carolina Panthers, nor meant to be a Ted Ginn hit piece. I’m confident this take will get blowback one way or another. On the one hand, many people contend that Ginn isn’t a Top-5 Panthers receiver. There is an argument for their position, but there is also a valid argument he should be considered in the Top 5. Other people will take issue with the idea that this example doesn’t exemplify Carolina’s paltry history at wide receiver. Those individuals, however, will have to rely on Smith and Muhammad carrying the Panthers' water and make the case that the team’s history is young and better than the Bears. All of these positions are valid. It’s that validity that’s the sad story of Ted Ginn and the Carolina Panthers.

By Tony Dunn aka @Cat_Chronicles
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