In 2014, it was “You can’t coach 6-5, 240.” Now, seven years later, you apparently can’t coach him at all.
On Wednesday afternoon, the New York Giants confirmed the release of former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The official announcement was preceded that morning by what Dan Duggan of The Athletic described as an “odd scene,” as Benjamin stormed off the practice field following a conversation with general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge.
This was not the only instance where Gettleman has chased after Benjamin, as he reached for the Florida State Seminole with the 28th overall pick of the 2014 draft back when he headed the front office in Carolina. The big-bodied pass catcher ended up playing in just 40 games over four years for the Panthers, totaling 3,021 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns before being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2017 for third and seventh-round selections.
Benjamin suited up for 18 games in Buffalo over the next two seasons, later to be released by the team on Dec. 4, 2018. He’d then sign on with the Kansas City Chiefs a few days later, where he appeared in only three regular season contests.
The former first-rounder hasn’t played an official down in the league since. Unfortunately for Gettleman’s reclamation project, today’s development may mark the last of the wideout turned tight end’s NFL chances.
On the bright side, there have been plenty of lessons to be learned from Benjamin’s fleeting football career, including how not to use your advantageous size as a receiver and how not to dig deep for your best effort. Most of all, we learned that Cam Newton is awfully damn good, because who else could’ve gotten almost two 1,000-yard seasons out of this man? We’ll wait . . .