Aside from Teddy Bridgewater, nobody on the Panthers roster has bigger shoes to fill this year than Tahir Whitehead.
According to defensive coordinator Phil Snow, Whitehead will start the season as the team’s middle linebacker. Luke Kuechly held the job for the last eight years, and it’s a tough act to follow as he played the position better than anybody else in the league during that time.
Whitehead understands that he’s not Kuechly and he does things differently. Here’s what he said about taking over No. 59’s spot, per the team website.
“For me, it’s just a matter of I’m my biggest critic. At the end of the day, Luke is Luke and I’m me. He plays the game differently than I do and vice versa. So I just have to go out there and make sure that I can execute my ability and my job within the scheme.”
The good news is he’ll be able to lean on some of what Kuechly has learned. Now retired, Kuechly has taken a position as a pro scout for the Panthers. Whitehead says he would be a fool not to take advantage of that.
“I’d be a fool not to take advantage of him still being in the building. He’s extremely smart. Heard nothing but great things about him over the years and I’ve always admired the way he played from afar.”
Whitehead does some things well – he’s a solid run defender and pass rusher. The biggest difference between the two is coverage. Kuechly was a brilliant defender in this part of the game, but Whitehead has struggled. Over the last two seasons, he’s allowed more touchdowns in coverage than any linebacker.
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