Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is running short on time to get cleared for Sunday’s game against the Packers.
Benjamin is recovering from a concussion suffered against the Bengals last weekend in a game that saw him take a big hit on a play that saw Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict draw a flag for unnecessary roughness and remained out of practice on Thursday. Panthers coach Ron Rivera called the concussion “mild” on Wednesday, but history has shown us that players respond to and recover from concussions at such varying paces that such labels are misleading at the very least.
Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that Benjamin was riding an exercise bike during practice, so he has gotten the green light to start doing some physical activity.
If Benjamin isn’t cleared in time for Sunday, the Panthers will be without their top outside receiving threat and will likely rely more heavily on tight end Greg Olsen when putting the ball in the air. Based on their approach last week and Green Bay’s past difficulties with read-option looks, we will likely also be seeing a lot of Cam Newton as a runner whether or not Benjamin plays.
