WATCH: Panthers WR Robbie Anderson Gets Thrown out of Game by His Own Coach
When an NFL coach gets fired after just five games, you know things are going wrong for the franchise. However, it usually gets a bit better (for the new interim head coach, at least for a while. That’s not the case, though, for the Carolina Panthers. After owner David Tepper fired third-year head coach Matt Rhule after posting an 11-27 record, Panthers fans hoped the franchise dysfunction would be coming to an end. That wasn’t the case in Week 6 vs. the Los Angeles Rams, as wide receiver Robbie Anderson made things so bad on the sidelines — getting in the face of multiple Panthers coaches — that interim head coach Steve Wilks sent him to the showers early.
Panthers coach Steve Wilks kicked Robbie Anderson out of the game
Things are not going well for the Carolina Panthers this season.
The team is now 1-5 after a 24-10 Week 6 loss to the LA Rams. That L came on the heels of Matt Rhule getting his walking papers after 38 uninspiring games at the helm of the team. The Panthers have also lost two quarterbacks (Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield) and may be on the verge of a fire sale that will see them trade stars like running back Christian McCaffrey, edge-rusher Brian Burns, and wide receiver Robbie Anderson.
That last one is becoming a problem.
After news emerged that the organization was shopping the seven-year vet, Anderson responded poorly against the Rams. The wideout didn’t have a catch or even a target, but more importantly, he got into verbal confrontations with his own coaches on the sideline.
The drama started when Anderson got into it with his wide receivers coach Joe Dailey, going facemask-to-nose with his position coach. Other coaches joined the fray, but Anderson returned to the game.
After the incident, Anderson sat on a Gatorade cooler 10 feet away from the rest of the Panthers offense as coaches and players discussed strategy.
Later, Anderson seemed to make more comments to Dailey, this time in ear-shot of Wilks. The new head coach restrained Dailey as he took after his player, and then Wilks kicked Anderson off the sideline and sent him to the locker room.
After the game, Anderson told reporters, I was confused, honestly. Because I wanna be in the game. I’ve never been told in X amount of years to get out the game in the fourth quarter. So I was honestly confused and upset by it as I should be.” (h/t The Athletic’s Joe Person).
For his part, Wilks said after the game, “No one is bigger than the team. … I don’t want to put a lot of energy on one individual.” (h/t Bill Voth).
What’s next for the Panthers WR?
It seems safe to say now that Robbie Anderson has played his last down for the Carolina Panthers.
While the WR did have some trade value before Sunday, his outburst and Steve Wilks’ subsequent discipline likely tanked that value or even killed it, as teams will prefer to wait and see if the team cuts him.
What might save the Panthers is that several teams could use Anderson for the final 2/3s of the season. When looking for the best Robbie Anderson trade destinations, two NFC teams come to mind.
The first is the New York Giants. The G Men are the most surprising team in the NFL after Week 6 at 5-1. They are doing it with running and defense and passes to backs and tight ends. In the team’s latest victory over the Baltimore Ravens, no WR for Big Blue caught more than three passes for 37 yards.
The other team is the squad the Giants beat last week in London. The Green Bay Packers lost to the New York Jets this week, and Aaron Rodgers was victimized by his pass-catchers to the tune of five drops. Anderson would help the back-to-back MVP immensely.
Either of these teams and possibly others (Cowboys? Ravens? Titans?) would be nice landing spots for Anderson. The question is will they give anything up after Sunday’s shenanigans?
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