Jadeveon Clowney spoke on the team's morale.
Jadeveon Clowney and the Carolina Panthers have been officially out of the playoff race for a few weeks now. They've been practically eliminated for much longer than that, though. A 1-7 start ensured that any playoff outlook was unlikely at best.
Despite that, the mood in the locker room is far from negative. Perhaps it's because the team has already doubled its 2023 win total, but things are looking up in Charlotte. Clowney, who is in his first year playing for his hometown team, opened up on why that is.
Jadeveon Clowney reveals why Panthers feel good despite elimination
Jadeveon Clowney says the Panthers figured out they weren't playing in the postseason several weeks ago. "You can't quit, we had like six games left when we figured that out," the edge rusher said. "At that point, you ask the guys in the locker room who wants to quit, who wants to play football."
"Do you love the game or are you just here for money? You see the guys still love the game. We're here to have fun. We know we had a bad season, but we love to play football. It's a fun game, we have a great time out there. That's why we come to work, laughing, smiling," the former South Carolina product said.
The Panthers are 4-11, and they're all but assured of picking in the top 10 and maybe the top five when the draft rolls around. Despite that, Clowney, who was in the AFC Championship Game just a season ago, and his teammates are feeling good because they love the game and the team is still trending in the right direction.
