Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin will play without a brace on his surgically repaired left knee, according to NFL.com analyst Jeffri Chadiha. Benjamin tore the ACL in his knee during training camp in 2015. Though he has been brought along slowly this preseason, his apparent willingness to play without a brace is a sign Benjamin is confident in his health. However, head coach Ron Rivera told NFL.com he would prefer to see the brace put to use.
Kelvin Benjamin to play without brace on surgically repaired knee; could translate into fantasy goodness
Panthers wide receiver was standout in 2014 and appears confident he is all the way back after missing last season with a torn ACL. We break down the fantasy implications.
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“If you put something on him and it prohibits him from being who he is, you don’t gain anything,” Rivera said. “I would like to see him wear it but he says he feels good and the doctors say he’s doing well. So we’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”
Fantasy spin: This is certainly a positive development for Benjamin, who had a terrific rookie season for the Panthers in 2014 and, if healthy, could represent a potential deep threat for Cam Newton. Benjamin is a talent with tremendous upside, but until we see the confidence in his knee translate into play on the field he is probably best reserved for WR2 or WR3 status.
