Anderson is heading to the desert
UPDATE (2:20 p.m. ET): The deal is official. The Panthers traded Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals for two late-round draft picks.
ORIGINAL STORY: One day after sending Robbie Anderson off the sideline, the Panthers reportedly sent the veteran wide receiver packing for good.
Carolina on Monday afternoon traded Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals, as first reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. The deal comes less than 24 hours after the Panthers removed the 29-year-old from their Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams due to a series of arguments with Carolina’s wide receivers coach.
The ejection effectively was the final straw for the Panthers, who reportedly started shopping Anderson immediately after firing head coach Matt Rhule last week. The Cardinals reportedly gave up a 2024 sixth-round pick and 2025 seventh-rounder to acquire Anderson, who will be paid the remaining $690,000 prorated portion of his base salary for this season by his new team, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The move for Anderson comes at a mixed-bag juncture for the Cardinals. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown sustained a potentially season-ending foot injury in Arizona’s Week 6 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But the Cardinals offense is set to receive a major resurgence this weekend in the form of DeAndre Hopkins, who is eligible to return to game action after serving the six-game suspension he received for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
As for the Panthers, the Anderson deal might not be the only major trade they make before the league’s Nov. 1 trade deadline passes. Multiple reports indicate Carolina is listening to offers for superstar running back Christian McCaffrey.