5 Panthers players who quietly had great seasons in 2020
By Dean Jones
Efe Obada – Carolina Panthers
Efe Obada is no longer just a feel-good story.
He is a quality NFL player.
The Carolina Panthers took a big risk by releasing Obada earlier this season to address depth elsewhere. But what we’ve seen from the defensive lineman since should all but ensure he receives a new deal this offseason.
Obada has been a significant part of the rotation down the stretch, making some eye-catching displays both from the edge and as a three-technique defensive tackle. There is not a game that goes by where the Nigerian-born player doesn’t give 100 percent and every good team needs role players like this to get themselves into contention.
Perhaps Obada’s biggest attribute is that he takes nothing for granted.
He plays every snap as if it is his last.
Obada deserves all the credit in the world for quietly putting together the finest season of his career by a considerable margin. This eventually saw the player finish with 5.5 sacks, 18 tackles, four tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and 17 pressures.
Although this might not come with a starting role for Obada in 2021, it should extend his stay in Carolina providing another team doesn’t offer him a bigger role with more money thrown in.