5 Carolina Panthers firmly on the hot seat vs. 49ers in Week 5
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers find themselves firmly on the hot seat entering their pivotal home clash against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5?
The bubble is rapidly beginning to burst for the Carolina Panthers after their 1-3 start. Any positivity the team generated from Week 3 evaporated quickly, replaced by the usual doom and gloom that’s clouded the organization since Matt Rhule was chosen as the man to replace Ron Rivera in 2020.
Things don’t get any easier for the Panthers this Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers visit Bank of America Stadium. Despite losing star quarterback Trey Lance for the season, Kyle Shanahan’s men boast a wealth of talent on both sides of the football and a signal-caller in Jimmy Garoppolo that’s already proven capable of leading them deep into the postseason.
Carolina isn’t favored to secure success. And judging by the atmosphere within the stands last weekend, anything less than a committed performance will not be tolerated by those spending their hard-earned money to watch a losing product.
With that being said, here are five Panthers firmly on the hot seat entering Week 5 against the Niners.
Panther No. 1
Ian Thomas – Carolina Panthers TE
Ian Thomas has flashed moments of quality through four games. But a dismal outing against the Arizona Cardinals cast further doubt about his potential to ever become a true No. 1 option at tight end.
The Carolina Panthers extended the Indiana product rather than let him leave in free agency. This financial faith hasn’t been repaid as yet and a big performance is needed in Week 5.
Thomas is getting plenty of opportunities within Ben McAdoo’s scheme. However, he’s not making the most of them and unless something changes, the likes of Tommy Tremble and maybe even Stephen Sullivan could be utilized more frequently as a result.