Panthers plan to up sackless Peppers' snap count
Legendary pass-rusher Julius Peppers is in line for a larger role after playing just one-third of the Carolina Panthers' defensive snaps through two weeks.
"He needs to play more and he will,'' defensive coordinator Eric Washington said Friday, according to ESPN's David Newton. "We need to do a better job with the rotation getting Pep in the game in obvious passing situations, and just rotating him in general. But there's no reason why his snap count has been what it is."
Peppers, who sits fourth on the NFL's all-time sack list, hasn't dragged down the quarterback once this season. In fact, the 38-year-old has just two tackles - one solo - over the course of his slow start. Peppers and Mario Addison led Carolina with 11 sacks apiece a year ago.
"It's something I know how to do," Peppers said of sacking the QB. "I'm not that concerned about it. They always say the first one is the hardest to get. They say they come in bunches and all that stuff. I'm not worried about that at all. Right now I'm worried about helping us get a win this week against Cincinnati. The accolades and all of that personal stuff, that'll take care of itself."
Peppers' snap count:
| Opponent | Snaps |
|---|---|
| Cowboys | 24 (out of 64) |
| Falcons | 19 (out of 63) |
It's possible Peppers' lack of production is related to the shoulder surgery he underwent in the offseason. The nine-time Pro Bowler sat out all four preseason games and only started practicing the week of the season opener while healing from the procedure.
"It's been so limited so far, I don't know if you can get a good gauge of how it's going," Peppers said of his play in the opening two weeks. "We'll get there."
The Panthers are set to take a 1-1 record into their home date with the Bengals on Sunday.