While the Green Bay Packers were showing off their offensive line depth in a 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions, a former member of their group in the trenches was having an incredibly tough showing.
Former Packers tackle Yosh Nijman had a rough season debut for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and finished his day with a 48.9 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus. Somehow, this was only the second-worst grade for the struggling unit. But no question, it was a tough performance for the former Packer, who was thrust into action when injuries took their toll in Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Former Packers Tackle Yosh Nijman Has Nightmare Start to the Season for Carolina
Nijman started his career back in the 2019 season as an undrafted free agent in Green Bay. This would lead to a long-term reserve role for the Packers that would run into the 2023 season. Last year, the tackle found a new landing spot, joining a limited Carolina offensive line in hopes of finding a surprise role. This didn't prove to be the case with the Panthers having better options to plug into the starting lineup.
However, starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu's emergency appendectomy kicked the door for Nijman to make a statement and become a surprise piece of the lineup. This was an opportunity that Nijman would quickly fumble away, putting together one of the ugliest performances of the weekend. Understanding just how bad the lineman was is only possible for those who endured watching the Panthers' struggling offense.
It seems that praise for Panthers' quarterback Bryce Young might have been just a bit premature. Jacksonville isn't known for its defensive talent, and yet the franchise has zero issue shutting down Young and the Carolina offense. It was clear early in the game that the Panthers were overmatched, and the Jaguars reminded the Panthers of this anytime it seemed a play was made or things were close to turning around.
For Nijman, this is unlikely to be the last opportunity based on the injuries and all the offensive dysfunction on display in Carolina. Still, it was an incredibly frustrating setback that is going to leave the tackle on thin ice whenever he is able to find his way back into the lineup.
Another performance of this level, and the Panthers are going to be looking at options to help jettison the former Packer and improve their depth. It is hard to see this not being the path Nijman is now walking after Sunday's defeat. One that served as further confirmation that Green Bay made the right decision turning the page.