5 Carolina Panthers players who could be benched at the Broncos in Week 8
By Dean Jones
Nick Scott - Carolina Panthers S
The fact Nick Scott keeps getting prominent reps on the defensive rotation is a testament to how bad things are for the Carolina Panthers right now. Ejiro Evero's unit is decimated - something not even the respected coach can counteract. He's just got to make the best of a bad situation and hope it doesn't damage his head coaching chances in 2025.
Scott is an experienced pro, but he doesn't do the fundamentals effectively enough. The safety is incapable of making tackles in open space. His coverage support is lackluster at best. He's also lost a step from an explosion standpoint. That's a bad mix for any defensive back.
Carolina might not have a choice but to put Scott in the firing line once again in Week 8. He played 100 percent of defensive snaps in a blowout loss at the Washington Commanders. This indicates the Panthers have no faith in the likes of Jammie Robinson and Demani Richardson.
With Jordan Fuller back at practice, Scott's time as the starter could be short-lived. No fan will be shedding too many tears about that.
Yosh Nijman - Carolina Panthers OT
This has nothing to do with how Yosh Nijman has performed. The veteran offensive tackle stepped into the breach after Taylor Moton's incredible streak of consecutive games came to an end. He's been serviceable enough, but the established right tackle is the better option by a considerable margin.
Nijman conceded one sack and a single penalty from 140 offensive snaps en route to an average 57.9 grade from Pro Football Focus. He's been a solid stop-gap, which is exactly what the Panthers had in mind when they brought him into the fold in free agency.
There was some good news amid the doom and gloom this week. Moton is back at practice and could feature in Week 8 at the Denver Broncos. Having a team talisman back to man the edge opposite Ikem Ekwonu would be a massive boost to the offense overall. Unfortunately, it sends Nijman back to the sidelines.
The former Virginia Tech star knew exactly what he signed up for. Nijman was the swing tackle who'd only get playing time through poor performance or injury. But he's proven capable of stepping in at a moment's notice to ensure no momentum is lost.
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