Honor for Panthers stud Brady Christensen calls Dave Canales' decision into question

Christensen may not be a household name, but as far as backup offensive linemen go he's about as good as it gets at this level.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Brady Christensen (70) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

It's difficult enough to win a game in the NFL when you're pushing all the right buttons. Even the worst team in the league (this year it appears to be the New Orleans Saints) can surprise you if your team isn't fully prepared and your strategy is not totally on-point.

After seven straight losing seasons you'd think that the Carolina Panthers would have learned that lesson by now, but they continue to shoot themselves in the foot far too often. Last week head coach Dave Canales had one of his worst games all around - not just execution-wise, but his lineup decisions were also pretty questionable.

Defensively, the Panthers posted the worst pressure rate in the league last week while limiting their two rookie edge rushers to just a handful of snaps. At linebacker Trevin Wallace should have been yanked after two drives but played the entire game. On the back end Nick Scott continues to start at safety.

Offensively, Canales chose to replace Ickey Ekwonu with Yosh Nijman - even though he already has a proven option at left tackle in Brady Christensen. The results were predictably bad, as Nijman surrendered six pressures and contributed to an awful game for Bryce Young.

This week we got a reminder that Christensen is one of the league's best backup offensive linemen when he was named to CBS Sports' ultimate 53-man roster, consisting of the NFL's best values at each position. They noted his ability to play every spot up front.

"Christensen's versatility made him attractive. He can play every offensive line position."

Christensen re-signed with the Panthers at just $2,787,500 for the 2025 season. That makes him a pretty grand bargain.

Last season Christensen started three games at left tackle with Ekwonu out - and he also saw extended playing time at center after Austin Corbett went down for the year with an arm injury. Over the last four seasons, he has put in at least 64 snaps at all five offensive line positions.

That's a lot of value, and something the Panthers need to take advantage of as often as they can. This is not one of the NFL's stronger rosters overall - and if Canales isn't going to wring as much out of it as possible then the front office has to find someone who will.

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Carolina Panthers offensive guard Brady Christensen (70) during an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers on September 29, 2024 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte N.C. | (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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