The Carolina Panthers will tell you Steve Smith got released because he became a distraction. It now sounds like team officials were just afraid to let the emotional wide receiver know that he simply didn’t have it anymore.
A day after Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence that Smith can still get open deep, Ron Rivera expressed some doubt about that to the Charlotte Observer.
“He doesn’t have the top-end speed like he used to, but he still has good speed,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday at the annual league meetings.
“Steve will still find ways to make plays,” Rivera said. “And as far as football decisions go, we have to move on eventually. This was an opportunity to do it.”
Smith will get the opportunity to prove his former team wrong, as the Panthers and Ravens will meet this seson.