What next for Terrace Marshall Jr. after Week 12 benching?

What comes next for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. after he was a healthy scratch at the Miami Dolphins in Week 12?

There were more than a few eyebrows raised when the Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. at No. 59 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. This was not seen as a position of need at the time and especially considering the organization was crying out for prominent help at the left tackle spot or anywhere on the offensive line – which only added to the surprise.

That’s not to say Marshall doesn’t have talent. His time at LSU came with a national championship in 2019 and the player coped well during his final college campaign with more responsibility on his shoulders.

However, things haven’t gone according to plan for Marshall at the next level just yet. Something of a shock considering how much the wideout flashed in training camp and during preseason games.

This culminated in Marshall becoming a healthy scratch for Carolina’s game at the Miami Dolphins, with Panthers head coach Matt Rhule claiming that it was down to others’ contributions on special teams and a matchup advantage with Shi Smith that resulted in the move.

"“We thought that matchup-wise vs man, just having Shi’s (Smith) speed out there would help us. I don’t think it’s an indication for Terrace long-term. I would expect Terrace to probably be up in another game. We just knew that this game was going to be a zero blitz, man-to-man.”"

Smith wasn’t targeted once during the game and was on the field for just 15 snaps. If this was a calculated risk by Rhule, it’s another that didn’t pay off.

That being said, it’s been a rough transition for Marshall. The first-year-pro has struggled to create separation and be the physical force Carolina hoped he would be right out of the gate.

Carolina Panthers need to utilize Terrace Marshall Jr. better

The Panthers also deserve their fair share of the blame. They’ve used Marshall as a slot weapon similar to what the team deployed with Curtis Samuel last season before he left in free agency for the Washington Football Team, which obviously hasn’t worked thanks in no small part to their contrasting styles.

Joe Brady should know better. He worked with Marshall as LSU’s passing game coordinator and has to put the wideout in a better position to succeed moving forward in keeping with his athletic attributes.

It’s been a real disappointment for Marshall.

There’s absolutely no getting away from that.

But it is far too soon to be giving up on the player just yet.

Yes, the Panthers took a luxury rather than standing firm and selecting an outstanding tackle prospect from a deep class. However, providing Marshall progresses well, takes this benching on the chin and use it as additional motivation to get better, it could see an upturn in production sooner rather than later.

Carolina hasn’t had much consistency from the quarterback position, which is affecting everybody. Marshall is a product of this without any doubt.

Until this changes and the offensive line provides the protection needed, the ripple effect will remain. Marshall has a lot of hard work ahead of him and he’ll need to show the right characteristics in the pursuit of a bigger role following the bye week and beyond.