Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin took a lot of heat for his perceived lack of effort in Sunday’s win over the San Diego Chargers, but Ron Rivera is not about to throw one of his star players under the bus.
Benjamin jogged through his routes on more than one occasion Sunday. He also was bailed out twice when he showed zero interest in making tackles after Cam Newton threw interceptions, as one player was called down by contact and the other pick was called back. Rivera was asked about one of those plays.
“When you ask (Kelvin), he said he thought the guy was down to begin with anyways,” the coach said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. “Again, he wasn’t happy with the lack of call there so that you’ll have to ask him.”
Reporters couldn’t ask Benjamin, because he did not make himself available to the media. They instead peppered Rivera with questions about the underachieving 25-year-old.
“Yeah, I’m fine with that. OK? I am,” Rivera said of Benjamin’s effort level. “I’m not quite sure where you guys are going with it. On both times, one he was down by contact and the other time the ball hit the ground.
“I’m not sure what you are trying to create here.”
The media really isn’t creating anything, as several people who watched the game noticed Benjamin looked like he hardly wanted to be there. He was then coincidentally on the bench for the final series, though Rivera refused to call it a benching.
Benjamin made it clear that he is down on the Panthers when he made these remarks a couple months back. The Panthers have had a brutal year after nearly going undefeated last season. It seems like that is taking its toll on Benjamin more than anyone else.
