Once upon a time, Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert energized crowds at Bank of America Stadium with powerful runs and fun touchdown dances. But ahead of Sunday’s Christmas Eve matchup against the Green Bay Packers, he lit the home crowd up in a slightly different way.
Former @Panthers RB Mike Tolbert broke the Keep Pounding drum 😭 pic.twitter.com/qLHwP2dPie
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
For the pessimists in the room, the broken drum symbolized a season full of mishaps for the now 2-13 Panthers. For the optimists, the strong beat perfectly represented the strong performance by the Carolina offense on Sunday.
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young hit the 300-yard passing mark for the first time in his NFL career. He finished having completed 23 of his 36 throws for 312 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while leading his unit to a season-high 30 points.
So, we’re not saying Tolbert was the reason why Young found so much success in the eventual 33-30 loss. But maybe the Panthers have found a franchise drummer for their franchise quarterback.
