The Carolina Panthers are coming under fire once again. Their attempts to restore order and become respected around the league are falling flat. Dave Canales is dealing with some injury issues, but so is everybody else. Unfortunately for the head coach, this roster is devoid of legitimate talent or sufficient depth.
That's a recipe for disaster. The Panthers are among the league's worst teams once again after so much hope among the fanbase throughout the offseason. Canales was heavily criticized for his comments surrounding Bryce Young and wanting to protect Andy Dalton, which he's back-tracked on. But it's another sign that the dark cloud hanging over the franchise isn't going away anytime soon.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Panthers have some tricky games upcoming over the next month before they head off to Germany - including two divisional battles with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. If Canales wants to salvage something from the campaign, he needs to make changes.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers players who could be benched after their Week 5 disaster at the Chicago Bears.
Carolina Panthers players who could be benched after Week 5 disaster
D.J. Johnson - Carolina Panthers OLB
Edge rusher D.J. Johnson played 45 percent of the Carolina Panthers' defensive snaps in Week 5 at the Chicago Bears. Some fans would argue that this is 45% too many. The former third-round pick isn't meeting expectations, cannot generate any meaningful pressure in opposing backfields, and isn't setting the edge effectively on running plays to further raise concerns.
This experiment with Johnson needs to conclude at some point. The Panthers traded up to secure his services at No. 80 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, which bemused at the time and even more so now. He is an aging development project tasked with more responsibilities than his talent can handle. Those in power didn't do enough to fortify their pass rush in the offseason and it's costing them dearly.
The Panthers are still waiting for D.J. Wonnum to return from his torn quad. Dan Morgan probably thought he'd be back by now considering the investment made in free agency. But even when he does become active, it'll take him time to become impactful. That could be Johnson's saving grace when it's all said and done.
LaBryan Ray - Carolina Panthers DL
The Carolina Panthers are missing the presence of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown considerably. That's to be expected considering he emerged into the team's best overall player last season. Ejiro Evero must roll with the punches and attempt to find solutions to fill the void.
LaBryan Ray got the opportunity to showcase his ability in Week 5. The Panthers made Jayden Peevy a healthy scratch for the contest, which was surprising following his flashes in recent weeks. Despite playing 69 percent of the team's defensive snaps, he logged just one tackle and looked overmatched throughout.
Ray is not an NFL starter. He's a capable understudy as proven last season, but nothing more than that. He's logged 11 tackles and one sack through four games - three of which he's started - en route to a dismal 47.2 grade from Pro Football Focus as a result of his efforts.
The Panthers don't have many options to replace Ray, which is a sorry state of affairs and a damning indictment of this organization's roster construction in recent years. Unless the lineman steps things up, opposing rushing attacks will continue to target him as a weak link without a genuine space hogger at the nose tackle spot.
Ja'Tavion Sanders - Carolina Panthers TE
The Panthers are set to welcome back Ian Thomas following a spell out through injury. While the veteran tight end has obvious limitations, Dave Canales got him involved in the passing attack throughout early workouts before a calf issue sidelined him at training camp.
Thomas coming back could mean reduced responsibilities for Ja'Tavion Sanders, although that will likely depend on how long it takes Tommy Tremble to emerge from the NFL's concussion protocol following a brutal hit against the Chicago Bears. The No. 101 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is struggling to make an impression, but it's also worth remembering he's still learning his craft.
This was always going to be a development season for Sanders. There is some significant refinement needed before he can be trusted with larger responsibilities. His two drops and a costly penalty at the Bears were proof positive of that fact.
Giving Sanders a little breather at the expense of Thomas - providing Tremble checks out medically in the coming days - wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. This is all part of the learning process for the player, who still has a bright future if the Panthers manage his progress correctly.
Nick Scott - Carolina Panthers S
The Carolina Panthers don't have much option other than to keep playing veteran free-agent signing Nick Scott. However, his performances haven't been up to the required standard since replacing the injured Jordan Fuller in the lineup.
Scott was a liability with the Cincinnati Bengals last season. Ejiro Evero trusted him enough to give this signing his seal of approval. But not many players the defensive coordinator worked with previously acquired during the offseason are shining right now.
The veteran safety is struggling to cope with coverage. Scott cannot support cornerbacks effectively enough and there are some cases on film where he doesn't even look aware of his assignments. That's a damning indictment - one that the Panthers must monitor closely heading into their Week 6 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
With only Lonnie Johnson Jr., Jammie Robinson, and Demani Richardson behind Scott and Xavier Woods on the safety depth chart until Fuller and Sam Franklin Jr. return, don't expect Evero to make the switch just yet. Even though he probably should if the same trend continues in the coming weeks.
Jonathan Mingo - Carolina Panthers WR
Jonathan Mingo is underperforming. That's been the tale of the tape since he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2023. Even his one decent play in Week 5 - a catch that looked bound for a touchdown before he fell to the ground - was tinged with agony.
This was the play where Austin Corbett felt a pop. The veteran center has since been ruled out for the entire campaign with a torn bicep. This is the latest in a series of crippling blows to a franchise that wasn't exactly blessed with great depth, to begin with.
As for Mingo? Patience is wearing thin. Undrafted free agent wide receiver Jalen Coker got involved at the Chicago Bears in Week 5 and looked much more impactful. With the new regime harboring no sentiment to their decision-making process, a situation could emerge where the one-time Holy Cross standout begins to see his target share increase in the not-too-distant future.
That would likely come at the expense of Mingo. Much will depend on rookie wideout Xavier Legette's development, but it's about time the Panthers started to give out playing time on merit and not previous standing.