ORCHARD PARK, NY – AUGUST 09: LeSean McCoy #25 congratulates Kelvin Benjamin #13 of the Buffalo Bills after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at New Era Field on August 9, 2018 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Kelvin Benjamin might think he’s subtle, but he’s not. His recent praise for Nathan Peterman was another obvious shot at Cam Newton.
Cam Newton tried to squash his beef with Kelvin Benjamin on the field this week, but his efforts were obviously unsuccessful. Benjamin is back on social media throwing shade at his former quarterback. This time, he’s trying to hide it by praising Nathan Peterman.
Benjamin posted a video of a successful connection between he and his Bills quarterback during this week’s preseason game against the Panthers. On the surface, that seems pretty innocuous. The wide receiver’s comment on the post is what makes it clear he was trying to criticize Newton. Benjamin specifically commented Peterson on his accurate throw with his use of a bullseye emoji.
Just last week, Benjamin went on a mini-tirade about how his spell with the Panthers was a nightmare. Specifically, he criticized Newton for his inability to put the ball on the money. Praising Peterman’s accurate throw is another thinly veiled shot at Newton.
Don’t expect this to sit well with Bills coach Sean McDermott. He made it clear that he wanted Benjamin to focus his energies on his current team. Stirring up his feud with Newton once again isn’t going to please anyone in Buffalo. Expect McDermott to have a word or two with Benjamin in the near future.
The real question is why Benjamin seems so intent on keeping this conversation going. It comes off as a big desperate. At the very least, it’s obvious that he has issues with Newton that significantly surpass any problems they have on the field. For Benjamin, this is a personal conflict.
Panthers fans will hope that Newton ignores this and moves on with life. The talented quarterback has enough on his plate trying to learn Norv Turner’s offense. Becoming distracted by Benjamin’s social media antics would be a waste of time for Newton.
Instead of continuing to focus on Newton, Benjamin should work on strengthening his relationships with his current quarterbacks. He needs to be a very productive player if A.J. McCarron, Josh Allen or Nathan Peterman is going to enjoy a successful 2018 campaign. Time will tell if the big-bodied receiver is ready to fulfill his full potential. The initial indications about his lack of focus don’t look promising.