Steve Smith is who he is. While his famously competitive nature helped him become the greatest wide receiver in Panthers franchise history, it hasn’t made him the nicest guy in the world. The latest to taste the wrath of No. 89 is former Carolina wideout Kelvin Benjamin.
Speaking in an interview on WFNZ, Smith ripped some fans for claiming Benjamin would replace him, saying he is parking cars right now.
Steve Smith on @wfnz:
"People say I am the jealous uncle (of the Carolina Panther WR's) and also said Kelvin Benjamin would replace me….well he is parking cars right now" pic.twitter.com/v5M0QheV7P
— Mark Seidel (@_MarkSeidel) September 2, 2020
Benjamin’s career got off to a good start, at least from a pure fantasy football perspective. He posted over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season (2014). Benjamin’s poor conditioning and stiff hands eventually caught up with him, though. Blaming Cam Newton for his problems didn’t help. At the moment, he’s a free agent.
There will never be another Panther quite like Steve Smith, so it’s best not to try. As for who might be the next great Carolina receiver, D.J. Moore appears ready to break into that conversation.
