4 Panthers players who disappointed in Week 6 loss vs. the Bears

Tahir Whitehead – Carolina Panthers LB

How much longer do we need to beat this drum?

Tahir Whitehead might just be a short-term solution to the substantial void left by Luke Kuechly, but he is fast becoming the weakest link on the Carolina Panthers. The veteran has been a disappointment in no uncertain terms this season, which is a trend that continued in their defeat against the Chicago Bears.

NFL teams aren’t stupid. All they have to do is look at Whitehead’s production, or lack thereof, on film to see where they can hurt a Panthers defense that was pretty good overall. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the former Temple man is woeful in coverage. But it is his lack of nous getting to the point of the attack is even more of a concern at this juncture.

Whitehead would be benched by any team that has a viable option waiting in the wings. Carolina doesn’t seem to possess this on their depth chart, so whether they’ll look to bring someone in during free agency or before the trade deadline is up for debate.

If the Panthers want to progress this season, then they need to explore every avenue as it is clearly not working out with Whitehead, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal this offseason in the wake of Kuechly’s shock departure.

If the player was skating on thin ice before their game against the Bears, then his latest poor outing might force Carolina’s hand when it comes to looking at possible alternatives.