Today Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera announced 3rd year corner Bene Benwikere would be placed on the PUP list.

Benwikere suffered a leg fracture on December 13th against the Atlanta Falcons. Since then, he has been in rehab, trying to make it back on the practice field. Apparently, that has not happened yet.

Once placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP), he can be removed at any time. So all is not lost. However, if he begins the 2016 NFL season still on the PUP, he will have to sit for the first six weeks of the regular season. The Carolina Panthers definitely cannot afford for that to happen.

In his place are primarily rookies, three of them to be exact. James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, and Zack Sanchez will all get increased reps in training camp. This could be the only silver lining in this situation. Still, even with that considered, the Carolina Panthers losing Bene Benwikere is a tough blow.

Benwikere has not fully participated in a practice since December. Even for veteran players, it takes time to fully get to the level of conditioning needed at the pro level. It would be in the Panthers best interest for Benwikere to get back to practice ASAP, no matter what benefit the rookies may get in his absence.