5 Carolina Panthers firmly on the hot seat vs. 49ers in Week 5
By Dean Jones
Yetur Gross-Matos – Carolina Panthers DE
After getting a supreme vote of confidence from the Carolina Panthers this offseason, the performances of Yetur Gross-Matos just haven’t matched these increased expectations. The defensive end hasn’t been able to generate the pressure needed opposite Brian Burns and time is rapidly running out to convince people he was worth the No. 38 overall selection in 2020.
Gross-Matos is finding life difficult despite the impressive performances of Derrick Brown, Matt Ioannidis, and Burns alongside him on the defensive line. One could argue that Marquis Haynes is doing more with fewer reps, so the Penn State product could find himself demoted down the depth chart and onto the rotation with any further inconsistencies.
There was a lot to like about Gross-Matos’ influence lower down the pecking order last season. But for some reason, the player has failed to adjust well despite a substantial upturn in reps.
The athletic attributes are there for Gross-Matos to become a valuable contributor. Considering how he’s fared lately, there’s every chance he could end up being a bust, too.
We’ll find out more versus the San Francisco 49ers, who’ll be missing stud left tackle Trent Williams and might even be down to their third-string blindside protector based on reports this week.