Panthers WR Brandon Zylstra is the epitome of ‘Keep Pounding’

Brandon Zylstra’s reliability

Feel-good story aside, there’s also an argument that the Carolina Panthers should work to get Brandon Zylstra more involved in the offense.

The 2021 season has been a coming-out party of sorts for Zylstra. While he continues to be a mainstay on special teams, he also has a career-high 18 receptions on just 23 targets this season.

In Week 2, Zylstra recorded his first career receiving touchdown on a pass from Sam Darnold. While the sample size remains minimal, the Panthers have had success when getting him involved this season.

Targets to Zylstra have led to a completion percentage of 78 percent, which is by far the best clip of any non-Christian McCaffrey pass-catcher on the roster. While he may not be a dynamic vertical threat, the player has entrenched himself as a very reliable pass catcher in the intermediate areas.

Of his 23 targets this season, Zylstra is yet to record a drop.

Unfortunately, Zylstra was added to the COVID list Sunday morning causing him to miss the matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s a shame he had to miss the matchup because he was getting a bit more involved down the stretch, recording six receptions throughout Weeks 14 and 15.

This is not to say Zylstra is destined to break out as one of the league’s most dangerous receivers, but there is value in keeping around team-first players that rarely make mistakes.

Many critics claim the Panthers are suffering from an identity crisis under the Matt Rhule regime. While Cam Newton is trying his hardest, the Panthers clearly lack the leadership and passion they received from the core of the 2015 team such as Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Greg Olsen, and Charles Johnson.

Zylstra may never enshrine himself as a Panther great like the aforementioned names. But he’s still a player that can contribute to building a winning culture.

Between the underdog status he’s embraced on his obscure path to the NFL and the team-first attitude he’s adopted ever since Carolina gave him a chance, one could argue Zylstra is one of the few players in the locker room that is currently demonstrating what it means to “Keep Pounding”.