The late-season surge that got the Panthers to the playoffs coincided with an injury to DeAngelo Williams that finally got Jonathan Stewart in the lead back role.
But now that Williams is healthy again, Stewart’s not worried about sharing the load.
“Whatever the offensive coordinator [decides] and whatever the plan is for the game, that’s how we run things,” Stewart said, via Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “You just do your part and just worry about that.”
As twisted as it sounds, the Panthers caught a break when Williams broke a bone in his left hand a month ago. Coach Ron Rivera had continued to start Williams throughout the season, even when it was apparent Stewart was able to do more.
The past five weeks have proven that. Only league-leader DeMarco Murray has more rushing yards than Stewart’s 486 over that span, and the Panthers as a team lead the league in rushing since Week 13.
Stewart admitted “the more you do things, the more comfortable you are,” but when asked if he’d like that to continue, he replied: “However that goes, that’s the way it’s going to go,”
That’s deep. Like the Panthers running back depth chart at the moment.
