Inactive Panthers WR Terrace Marshall weighs in on ‘tough’ third season on sideline
For a second consecutive year, Terrace Marshall has witnessed his head coach get fired in the middle of the season. But unlike last year with former interim head coach Steve Wilks, a temporary change at the top hasn’t led to more playing time for the 2021 second-round pick.
Marshall, 23, has been a healthy scratch for the past four weeks. The last two games have been under the leadership of interim head coach Chris Tabor, who replaced former head coach Frank Reich in Week 13.
Marshall — who asked to be traded earlier this season — has been working with the scout team in practice, offering up different looks to the first-team defense. But on Sundays, he’s been on the sideline without a jersey as his teammates on offense have averaged just 11 points per game over the past four weeks.
“I’m just going to work, getting better every day,” Marshall said Wednesday. “At the end of the day, I know who I am. I won’t never let nobody else determine that. I determine that — so I just go to work every day and get better. Do what I can, do what’s asked of me and be a pro.”
Marshall was a healthy scratch for two of the final five games of former head coach Matt Rhule’s tenure last season. After Wilks took over, Marshall became a fixture of the offense, collecting 24 catches for 460 yards and a touchdown during the final 12-games stretch. The former LSU playmaker averaged 17.5 yards per catch during his second NFL season.
But this summer in training camp at Wofford College, Marshall took a quick backseat to new arrivals, Adam Thielen, DJ Chark and second-round pick, Jonathan Mingo. Marshall ran plays with the second-team offense and rarely saw targets from rookie starting quarterback Bryce Young, despite the pair showing some signs of chemistry during the offseason program.
Marshall suited up for the first nine games under Reich, but he didn’t play a snap against the Detroit Lions in Week 5. Reich, at the time, couched that absence to the head coach failing to communicate with the assistant coaches that he wanted Marshall involved.
Still, Marshall was rarely targeted after that absence against the Lions. In eight games, Marshall has 18 catches for 144 yards on the season. His yards-per-catch average has dropped to 7.4 yards per reception.
Tabor, who is a special teams coordinator by trade, acknowledged that Marshall’s recent absence from the lineup is nuanced.
“There’s a lot of factors that go into the (48-man game-day roster),” Tabor said Wednesday. “It’s not always just about offense and defense.”
Marshall is clearly behind Thielen, Chark and Mingo on the depth chart. Ihmir Smith-Marsette is the team’s main punt returner, and he is starting to taking on more offensive snaps with Laviska Shenault on injured reserve.
With those four players guaranteed playing time, Marshall is competing with former practice-squad receiver Mike Strachan for snaps.
Marshall played just five special teams snaps in his last four appearances this season. Strachan has already played 20 special team snaps in his past three active games.
Based on their respective snap counts, it’s easy to infer that Tabor values Strachan over Marshall on special teams.
“I’m willing to do whatever they ask me to do,” Marshall said. “Honestly, whatever I can do to show up on Sunday and help contribute to a win with my team — I’m all ears, and less talking, more doing these days. So, just ready to go to work whenever they call my name.”
With Marshall forced to the sideline, he’s trying to stay positive about his future. He has one year left on his rookie deal, but another offseason of change is on the horizon in Carolina.
Whether he’s here under another new head coach or on his way out in the coming months, Marshall isn’t losing faith in himself or his teammates.
“I just give glory to God, for just giving me peace of mind and helping me get through this year,” Marshall said. “It’s been tough, for me and my teammates, but we’re going to keep going, we’re going to keep chopping wood, and the best is yet to come for each and everyone of us, individually and collectively.”
