Panthers' explosive weapon put on notice amid strange uncertainty

Last year, the Carolina Panthers selected tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders in the fourth round of the NFL draft. At the time, the pick was widely viewed as a potential steal due to Sanders' freakish athleticism.

And you know what? For the first half of Sanders' rookie campaign, that appeared to be the case, as he flashed tremendous potential over the first couple of months. However, Sanders suffered a neck injury in Week 12 which severely limited him the rest of the way.

Now. there are actually some who believe that the 22-year-old could be in danger of losing his job, especially after the Panthers took fellow tight end Mitchell Evans on Day 3 of the draft last month.

Joe Person of The Athletic, for example, feels that Sanders should absolutely be looking over his shoulder heading into 2025, naming him among eight Carolina players facing critical campaigns.

"Before the injury, Sanders five games with at least three receptions, including a six-catch effort at Washington. The Panthers re-signed veteran [Tommy] Tremble and added another tight end in the draft this year by selecting Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans in the fifth round," Person wrote.

Person did go on to say that Sanders is a better pass-catching threat than Evans, but it's not like Evans is a complete bum as a receiver, and we have heard a lot of chatter throughout the offseason that tight end has been a major point of contention for the Panthers.

Sanders caught 33 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown in 2024, although he totaled just four catches after the neck injury.