Every Carolina Panthers fan’s favorite wide receiver is back in the league! Well . . . kinda.
As reported by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, former Panther Kelvin Benjamin is expected to try out for the New York Giants during the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend.
Among tryout players this weekend for Giants is expected to be WR Kelvin Benjamin, per source. Only 30 but hasn’t played since ‘18. Had over 1K yards as rookie before injuries derailed him. Originally drafted in Carolina by…Gettleman. Has work cut out for him. Giants deep at WR
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 13, 2021
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound (as last listed) wideout was drafted by Carolina and then-general manager Dave Gettleman with the 28th overall pick in 2014. So, this latest opportunity for Benjamin shouldn’t come as a complete surprise with Gettleman now at the helm in New York.
Benjamin impressed from the outset upon entering the pros as a national champion from Florida State University, registering 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season. That welcome quickly wore out.
Benjamin suffered a torn ACL during training camp in 2015 in a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, which would wipe out his entire sophomore campaign. While he would return to the field for 2016, a physical and mental disconnect led to an underwhelming and frustrating next two years for both sides.
The Panthers then filed for a sudden divorce in the middle of the 2017 season, trading Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills on Halloween for a third-round pick in a surprise move. He finished his three-year career in Carolina with 168 receptions, 2,424 yards and 20 scores.
Benjamin went on to play in 16 games for Buffalo, with a familiar pair of faces in general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, between 2017 and 2018.
His most notable moment there, in an indictment on this particular stint, came prior to a preseason matchup with the Panthers when his former quarterback, Cam Newton, approached him looking to clear the air about some salty comments directed at the team. It, uh, didn’t go well for him.
Video: Cam Newton confronted Kelvin Benjamin and started questioning him after his comments from over the weekend. Kelvin didn't want any part of the conversation.pic.twitter.com/VOY8W65aa8
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) August 9, 2018
KB was released by the Bills on Dec. 4, 2018, only to quickly sign with the Kansas City Chiefs just two days later. But Benjamin didn’t make much of an impression there either, as he played sparingly over three regular season games before sitting out in both of Kansas City’s playoff run that year.
This is not the first time Gettleman and the Giants will look to kick the tires on the former first-rounder. Benjamin was previously invited by the organization to participate in a summer workout when he was a free agent in 2019, but did not ultimately attend as he did not make the finalized list for the tryout.
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