The Carolina Panthers have a generational dual-threat at the quarterback position in former NFL MVP Cam Newton, which inspires faith that the Panthers have the capability every season of potentially going to the Super Bowl. In the past, the Panthers and their fans also had confidence that should anything happen to Newton, they could at least hold the fort down with Derek Anderson, who served as Newton's backup from the time he first entered the NFL in 2011.

Entering the 2018 season, the story is quite different. Anderson left the Panthers during the offseason, and now the Panthers are in a position where they have an extreme level of inexperience behind Newton at quarterback with backups Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Heinicke, and undrafted free agent Kyle Allen. Given Newton's highly-physical style of play, questions on the offensive line, and a lack of a proven backup behind him, there has been some trepidation throughout the offseason among fans as to the situation should anything happen to the Panthers' No. 1 man. But as of now, it does not seem like the Panthers coaching staff shares those concerns.

During his weekly Grill Bill mail column on the Panthers' website, Bill Voth stated in response to a fan's question that the Panthers are satisfied with how their backup quarterback situation looks. At least for right now.

"It’s nearly impossible to get a good read on those guys against a defense that isn’t sending a proper pass rush," wrote Voth. "So the real tests for Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke will come in the preseason. And if neither do a good enough job, that's when the Panthers may have to go another route."

The cause for concern with the Panthers' backup quarterback situation is not unfounded, and actually quite healthy. Gilbert, the son of former NFL backup quarterback Gale Gilbert, has served primarily as a practice squadder for most of his NFL career and has never played a single down in a regular season game. Heinicke, meanwhile, has only a few downs of regular season experience as he briefly entered a Week 16 game for the injury-decimated Houston Texans last year. Allen, a rookie undrafted free agent out of Houston, is simply trying to make the team.

Should the Panthers try and make a move for a more proven backup quarterback via trade, the best available option by all accounts is Teddy Bridgewater, who is currently on the New York Jets. Bridgewater, a former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, led the Vikings to an NFC North title in 2015 before a horrific knee injury suffered in 2016 training camp forced him to miss a complete year and a half of football, derailing his plan to become the Vikings' franchise quarterback of the future. With the Jets preparing for the future at quarterback with third-overall pick Sam Darnold and Bridgewater performing well throughout the offseason, it has been made known that the Jets are open to the idea of trading Bridgewater - which may be a necessity for the Panthers if Gilbert, Heinicke, and Allen all look completely lost in live game action during the preseason.