Panthers fourth-year receiver Kelvin Benjamin showed up overweight to Carolina's offseason workouts and head coach Ron Rivera naturally was concerned.
Benjamin opened up to Max Henson of Panthers.com about the weight gain and what he has to do to get back to being the No. 1 receiver that Panthers need.
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“I was really kind of disappointed,” Benjamin said. “I wanted to come in and set the bar high for myself and let my teammates know that KB is back this year and he’s ready to roll.
“I think people saw that first weigh-in and were like, ‘Woah, is he ready to play?’ But we had a good talk. (Rivera and general manager Dave Gettleman) told me what I had to do, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Weight problems are nothing new for Benjamin. Back in 2015, he showed up to workouts overweight. At Florida State, he found himself buried on the depth chart and weighed 260 pounds.
“All I can do is take it and use it as motivation to get where they want me to be,” Benjamin said. “I’m so used to (the criticism). I don’t worry about it. It won’t affect me. Once camp starts and we start tossing that ball around, people will move on.”
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Benjamin had a fantastic rookie year in 2014, making 73 catches for 1,008 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. But he suffered a torn ACL in 2015 and was inconsistent in 2016.
Benjamin says he needs to do more than just go back to his playing weight from last season.
“I need to be in the best shape of my life. That’s what we’re getting to,” Benjamin said. “I have to get back to being dominant.”
Despite Benjamin's inconsistent play and weight concerns, the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option on his rookie contract, keeping him in Carolina through the 2018 season.
“I’m excited. I’ve been grinding, going hard,” Benjamin said. “I’m happy that the team picked up the fifth-year (option). That shows they believe in me. There is a lot still in store for me.”