Fans and analysts were scratching their heads when the Carolina Panthers suddenly waived cornerback Brandon Boykin. Following the NFL draft in which they grabbed three cornerbacks in just five selections, it was clear that the Panthers were hungry for help in the secondary. So why cut a relatively young veteran that was under a cheap contract?

According to a fan at the Steelers’ fantasy camp on Twitter, Steelers’ DB coach Carnell Lake told attendees that Boykin had a hip issue.

Lake: I can talk about him now that he isn't here. Philly cut him b/c he has a degenerative hip condition: one leg longer than other…(1/2) — Cocktails-n-Dreams (@CraigScott31) June 4, 2016

While a fan saying something on Twitter doesn’t make it legitimate, Lake not denying the claims to Beaver County Times writer Chris Bradford Thursday certainly adds some credence to it.

Carnell Lake re: Boykin comments: "I’m not going to go back on that. I wish Boykin the best. He helped us when we needed him." #steelers — Chris Bradford (@BCTBradford) June 9, 2016

The hip issue would explain why the Panthers released him in short order and why the Atlanta Falcons never signed him following a workout. ESPN pointed to a rumor of a potential hip issue, though their source on the Falcons workout said that everything checked out medically.

While we can’t confirm this ourselves and can only leave it as pure speculation at this point, it is at least one plausible answer to why Boykin is still a free agent despite teams having a major need for a quality slot cornerback.