Robbie Anderson was a relative afterthought in the Panthers’ decision-making Sunday afternoon, and that didn’t sit well with the veteran wide receiver.
Anderson was told to hit the showers early in Carolina’s eventual 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. The seventh-year pro could be seen trading verbal barbs with Panthers wide receivers coach Joe Dailey in the first half of the Week 6 game, and the two barked at each other some more in the third quarter. Interim head coach Steve Wilks eventually had enough, ordering Anderson to leave Carolina’s sideline before the start of the fourth frame.
After the game, Anderson revealed to reporters that the crux of his sideline arguments was not being on the field when the Panthers offense faced key situations.
“My job is, I’m here to do all I can to help us win,” Anderson told reporters per NFL.com. “It’s third down. I’m being taken out the game. You know, I don’t think I should be OK with that. So, I made a comment. ‘It’s the money down. Why am I being taken out?’ And that’s that.”
Anderson also plead ignorance when asked why Wilks gave him the boot.
“I have no idea,” Anderson told reporters. “But one thing I do, and I always stand on it and continue to do, is I give my all in everything that I do. I don’t play this game for money. I don’t play this game for fame. I play this game because I love the game of football. Regardless of what’s been going on the past week, I always keep my head down and keep working. All I want to do is help us win the Super Bowl. And that’s all I want to do. That’s my ultimate goal of playing this game. So, I’m never going to belittle myself from that aspect or let my character be diminished or be misunderstood.”
Anderson should be a name to follow leading up to the NFL’s Nov. 1 trade deadline. The Panthers reportedly are listening to trade offers for Christian McCaffrey, and if Carolina feels its relationship with Anderson is too fractured, it could open the phone lines on the 29-year-old as well.
