When the Carolina Panthers traded former 1,000-yard receiver Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills midway through the 2017 season, it caught a lot of people by surprise.
Sure the former first-round pick had dealt with injuries in Carolina. But when healthy, Benjamin was Cam Newton’s favorite target at wide receiver.
Now, entering his first full season with the Bills, Benjamin has decided to throw his former quarterback under the bus in a big way.
“It was a bad fit from the get-go,” Benjamin told Tim Graham of The Athletic. “If you would’ve put me with any other quarterback, let’s be real, you know what I’m saying?”
No, we’re not entirely sure what you mean. Obviously, this was meant to be a shot at Newton’s ability to throw the football. But in six games with the Bills last season, Benjamin caught a grand total of 16 passes. He had recorded 32 catches in eight games with the Panthers.
Set to work with a combination of Josh Allen, Nathan Peterman and A.J. McCarron this season, Benjamin will soon find out that Newton wasn’t the problem in Carolina.
It’s a weird statement for the wide receiver to make. It also tells us a story of what might have been a contentious relationship between Newton and Benjamin in Carolina.