5 Carolina Panthers who should be benched after Week 8 loss at the Broncos

Mike Jackson Sr. - Carolina Panthers CB

Dane Jackson is still having trouble getting back to full health following a hamstring issue. The veteran free-agent signing was expected to feature prominently this season after joining the Carolina Panthers. It's not gone according to plan so far, leaving his status in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints in serious doubt.

If Jackson is ready to participate, it might come at the expense of Mike Jackson Sr. We've already spoken about Chau Smith-Wade not being ready, but the offseason acquisition via trade from the Seattle Seahawks isn't living up to his billing.

Jackson is giving up 60.9 percent of targets and a career-high 98.2 passer rating when targeted. He's failed to build on a promising start and doesn't seem like someone who'll be part of the team's long-term plans unless there's a dramatic surge forward over the second half of 2024.

It cost the Panthers almost nothing to bring Jackson into the fold. The former fifth-round pick was worth a shot and has flashed moments of quality, but don't be surprised if Dan Morgan's high-priority cornerback addition starts taking his reps in the not-too-distant future.

Jonathan Mingo - Carolina Panthers WR

Jonathan Mingo played 54 percent of offensive snaps at the Denver Broncos. Many wondered if the absence of Diontae Johnson could finally open a window of opportunity for the 2023 second-round selection. Unfortunately for the wide receiver, it was another anonymous afternoon.

Mingo was largely underwhelming as a route runner. He failed to bring in any of his three targets from quarterback Bryce Young. It was the latest in a long line of mishaps - something that won't go unnoticed by those in power as part of their ongoing assessments for the future.

The Ole Miss product is rapidly turning into Terrace Marshall Jr. - someone who came into the organization with every athletic intangible imaginable but couldn't put everything together when it counted. That's a damning indictment of the previous regime's evaluation and ability to nurture talent.

Much will depend on whether Adam Thielen or Johnson are healthy enough to participate. There's also the small matter of a potential trade to consider. If nothing arrives and either is ready to return, Mingo will go to the bench.

And make no mistake, this could be a permanent arrangement.

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