Former Vikings first-round draft pick released by the Panthers

Selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Matt Kalil is now without a team after getting released by the Carolina Panthers.

Following a miserable season that resulted in them winning just three games, the Minnesota Vikings entered the 2012 NFL Draft with a top five pick. The Vikings decided to use the selection on USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil and the team was hoping that he would become a staple on their offensive line for the next decade.

Fast forward to now and Kalil is currently without a job after the Carolina Panthers decided to release him on Thursday.

After becoming a free agent in the 2017 offseason, the young blocker chose to leave Minnesota and sign with the Panthers. Carolina and Kalil were able to agree to a five-year deal worth $55 million.

The former Vikings offensive tackle appeared in all 16 games for the Panthers in 2017. But last season, Kalil missed the entire season with a knee injury.

During the last three years, he has only played in 18 of a possible 48 games due to injuries. Carolina clearly wasn’t comfortable with Kalil’s lack of durability moving forward and they felt it was best to just let him go.

Following his rookie season with Minnesota that resulted in him getting a spot in the Pro Bowl, he appeared to be on his way to having a successful career in the NFL. But injuries began to pile up and really prevent Kalil from becoming the player that many thought he could be when he came out of USC.

Even when he actually was on the field for the Panthers in 2017, his performance was definitely nothing close to being worth the amount of money he was being paid. That year, Kalil allowed a total of 46 quarterback pressures, including seven sacks.

He might have had a ton of promise as a rookie with the Vikings. But Kalil’s time in the league since then certainly has not gone according to plan.

(For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.)