Maybe the Panthers should try Diontae Johnson at quarterback.
It certainly can't get any worse.
Carolina's star receiver said after Sunday's 40-7 loss to the Commanders that he's limited in what he can do each week because he only plays one position.
“It's frustrating, but you can't play every position on the field and make every play,” Johnson said Sunday. Photographed by The Athletic. “At the end of the day, everyone has to do their job. But yeah, it's hard. I just tell myself to keep going.”
The Panthers (1-6) are entering a period where things look like they're going to get really bad. At this stage of a terrible season, Johnson's comments suggest the team may already be there.
Carolina has lost four straight and is allowing 34.7 points per game, the worst in the league, and is allowing 15.7 points per game, the fifth-fewest.
The team had one spark after benching former No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young in place of Andy Dalton, leading to a 36-22 victory over the Raiders in Week 3, but since then The offensive line remains at its helm.
Johnson joined the Steelers in a trade this offseason and has seen the difference between playing on a winning team and the worst team in the NFL.
Johnson leads the team in receiving yards, but since he had one catch for 17 yards against the Commanders, he has only 23 receiving yards in four games.
Johnson and Dalton also disagreed on interceptions.
Some have speculated that the Panthers could trade Johnson to gain trade assets for their rebuild, but head coach Dave Canales Previously he said he did not think such a thing would happen.
Things could clearly change if Mr Johnson continues to voice his dissatisfaction. Even the Steelers wanted to move on from Johnson, despite his talent.
Canales said he noticed the frustration of his players against a top defense in Week 8's road game against the Broncos, and said the Panthers once again found themselves behind.
“Absolutely. They are very disappointed in our performance so far,” Canales said on Monday. “They're playing hard and putting in a lot of effort. It's a great starting point. But we have to play good football and that's the goal. That's a good game that we can be proud of.” Getting the basic ball, that's the closest goal we have to do. We're not getting there, so we have to keep pushing there, and We've got to keep pushing out there, and everybody's got to take responsibility, and they're reacting the right way in terms of how it feels.”
