The Panthers would like to see a breakout season from Kelvin Benjamin, and he’s been hard at work making sure that the wrong numbers don’t break out.
After expressing concern about the wide receiver’s weight earlier in the offseason, Panthers coach Ron Rivera told The Charlotte Observer that he’s pleased with Benjamin’s effort to get in shape.
“He’s worked very hard when he’s been around. He’s done a great job,” Rivera said. “He comes in and gets the extra treatment, gets in the whirlpool, gets in the steam, sauna, stuff like that. He’s been great. He knows it, and he’s been what you would hope he would be.”
This isn’t the first time Benjamin has struggled with his weight. It was a problem when he played at Florida State. Rivera said during the 2015 offseason that recurring hamstring injuries might have been caused by weight problems.
After catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, Benjamin missed the 2015 season with a torn ACL. He returned last season to catch 63 passes for 941 yards and seven touchdowns.
No other Panthers wide receiver on the roster has caught more than 31 passes in a season, so tight end Greg Olsen will have to shed a lot of double and triple coverages if Benjamin doesn’t shed the weight.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
