With the injury to Austin Corbett, a familiar face to longtime Carolina Panthers fans was inserted into the center position. Brady Christensen got the nod despite his lack of experience at the position. There were concerns, but the former third-round selection hasn't missed a beat.
There are oddities surrounding Christensen's tenure with the Panthers organization after being drafted out of BYU. He accumulated some truly spectacular accolades to his name at the left tackle position. Unfortunately, Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer had him graded higher as a guard and failed to entertain the notion of putting the lineman on the edge.
Christensen has always been knocked for his arm length. He is not the prototypical size for an offensive tackle. However, the young lineman's play more than makes up for any perceived shortcomings.
Carolina Panthers could extend Brady Christensen if strong form continues
Any time there was a need for someone to step up, an injury to fill in for, or grunt work with an extra lineman, Christensen has always been there. He's patiently waited for his chance to make an impact again. It's early days, but this looks like his position for the rest of 2024 and potentially beyond.
Time and time again Christensen has proven that he can start in this league. The football IQ is there, the innate ability to keep the defensive linemen in front of him and out of the quarterback's face, passing off shifts easily and without pause. All of these things are exactly what you want.
Christensen's overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks No. 12 among all qualifying centers. His pass-blocking grade (No. 24) and run-blocking mark (No. 9) also leave reasons for encouragement. He's experienced enough to communicate pre-snap effectively and seems highly motivated to silence his doubters.
This is coming at a good time for Christensen. His rookie contract concludes next spring and he wants an extension. The Panthers have many uncertainties across the roster for general manager Dan Morgan to figure out. Carolina's offensive line looks like an area of strength, so it would be wise to keep continuity regardless of who's under center in 2025.
Corbett is also a free agent, so it might be a straight choice between the two depending on the money involved. Considering age and injury history, preference might be for Christensen, who's probably a lot cheaper for good measure.
There is a lot of football left before that decision comes to fruition. At the very least, Christensen has proven his worth as a dependable understudy capable of slotting in almost anywhere across the protection to ensure no momentum is lost. Those players are hard to find.
If Christensen keeps up his eye-catching performance levels, another new deal won't be long in the offing when the campaign concludes. It might even come with another year as the team's starting center if those in power genuinely believe in his long-term upside.