The Carolina Panthers shocked everyone by announcing the release of starting linebacker Josey Jewell due to concerns over the healing process of a concussion suffered seven months ago. While this was a bad development for an already thin defense, it runs deeper than that.
It's no secret that the Panthers have long needed stability at the position and have yet to find it after this most recent development. But it began to look like they had something to build on, especially after Jewell missed time last season and just how lost the team was without the linebacker in the lineup.
Stats and tackles merely scratch the surface in this predicament. Jewell was a leader, a catalyst that the younger players looked up to and emulated. Without that veteran presence in the locker room, there is a big void that needs to be filled.
Carolina Panthers will miss Josey Jewell more than they think unless a suitable replacement arrives
There isn't anyone on the team capable of doing that right now. Christian Rozeboom is the closest, which does little to inspire confidence. And this is no knock on the new signing; there just isn't a track record to lean on.
That is why this departure is so much more than pure football on the field.
The job of a middle linebacker is to be the quarterback of the defense, to guide the players on and off the field, and keep the ship running smoothly. Without that presence, the entire thing falls apart.
You can have a team with the best individual players in the sport. However, if they do not act as a cohesive unit or have a steady voice to guide their talents in the right direction, it is all for nothing.
The Panthers do not have the luxury of generational talent across the defensive second level. This makes the ceiling even shorter without good leadership, something the team no longer has.
Health is always more important than football. In the end, it is a game after all. An extremely popular, highly profitable, and enjoyable to watch game.
With Jewell still struggling with concussion symptoms, stepping away from football was the correct decision and always will be. But with that said, the Panthers should have had a backup plan in the eventuality that he could not recover fully.
It's a sentiment that is becoming all too common for this defense. A lack of foresight and proper planning for the inevitable. Even if Jewell had been ready for the season, there is no clear-cut candidate to step into the role of MIKE linebacker, even in the short term.
That is something that this front office is going to have to answer for in the coming months if a suitable replacement isn't acquired beforehand.