5 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat entering Week 6 vs. the Falcons
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers have no more margin for error if they want to salvage something from the 2024 season. Respectability and contention look further away than ever after a disastrous run of results and injuries to key personnel piling up. It's been a nightmare start for head coach Dave Canales - one the team's disillusioned fanbase is depressingly familiar with since David Tepper assumed ownership.
It looks like a long road back even at this early stage. The Panthers just have to roll up their sleeves and hope things can turn around. They've got a difficult series of games upcoming heading into the midway point, which starts in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta looks like a potential playoff challenger after a rocky start. It's not perfect just yet for Raheem Marris' squad, but the Panthers need all hands on deck as the pressure mounts on everyone associated with the organization after so much optimism before the campaign.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers firmly on the hot seat entering Week 6 at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina Panthers on the hot seat entering Week 6 vs. the Falcons
Jonathan Mingo - Carolina Panthers WR
The Carolina Panthers were expecting more from Jonathan Mingo this season. He got a pass for a subpar campaign in 2023 thanks in no small part to the coaching failures under previous head coach Frank Reich. He was also a significant investment at No. 39 overall in the draft, so giving the wide receiver a bit of leeway was only right.
Patience is running thin where Mingo is concerned. He continues to struggle with his route tree and is still prone to mental errors. Just why he decided to fall on a deep catch against the Chicago Bears is anyone's guess, but it was the primary catalyst behind veteran center Austin Corbett steamrolling downfield for some extra push that tore his bicep.
There's a lot of football left, but it seems like Mingo is never going to reach his pre-draft expectations. The former Ole Miss standout can improve his fortunes against the Atlanta Falcons, but his usage will be a telling indicator of how Carolina perceives his growth over the opening five weeks.