5 Carolina Panthers players who could be benched after Week 1 embarrassment
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers must turn the page quickly once again. If head coach Dave Canales wanted to remove the stench that enveloped the franchise in 2023 immediately, he was out of luck. They were humiliated versus a divisional rival in Week 1, which was a devastating blow that demoralized the fanbase.
It was an afternoon that won't live long in the memory. The Panthers had no answer for the New Orleans Saints in any phase of play. They looked unprepared and lacked any genuine belief in their capabilities. It was a glaring indicator of the hard work ahead to earn back respectability around the league.
Big adjustments are needed before Carolina welcomes the rejuvenated Los Angeles Chargers to Bank of America Stadium in Week 2. Some players will also be nervously looking over their shoulders after failing to meet the required standards during their regular-season opener.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers players who could be benched after their Week 1 embarrassment. Full disclosure - quarterback Bryce Young isn't on the list as those in power want to get a true evaluation of the signal-caller this season. Shy Tuttle would have been, but the injury to Derrick Brown changed the landscape completely.
Let's get to it.
Carolina Panthers players who could be benched after Week 1 embarrassment
Troy Hill - Carolina Panthers CB
The Carolina Panthers gave Troy Hill a deserved one-year extension after impressing in 2023. His reunion with Ejiro Evero paid off handsomely and he went into the new campaign as the team's starting slot cornerback once again. Things didn't go nearly as well during his opening bow this time around.
Hill looked a yard off the pace. He gave up both of his targets according to Pro Football Focus and seemed lost within the schematic concepts en route to featuring in just 50 percent of snaps. He wasn't alone in that regard, but it was disappointing nonetheless.
General manager Dan Morgan blitzed the waiver wire after final cuts for cornerback reinforcements. Now that the likes of Tariq Castro-Fields and Shemar Bartholomew have had their acclimatization period, they could be introduced. There's also the presence of rookie Chau Smith-Wade to factor into the equation.