Beyond the football field, it has been quite a difficult summer for Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin that saw him experience the loss of his mother.

He had forged an extremely close bond with his mother over the years that has made this loss extremely difficult for him to go through over the last few months. Despite that, Pro Bowl quarterback Cam Newton told the Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer that he believes that Benjamin will use that tough personal experience to have a huge bounce-back year.

“For him to be as functional as he is … he shows a lot of strength mentally to come back from what he’s done and what has happened in his life,” Newton said. “He’s come back in great shape, playing with a chip on his shoulder and just playing with a purpose and that’s all you can ask.”

Although it's cliche to state, tough life experiences such as losing a loved one do often make individuals mentality stronger. The football field could be the ideal place for him to find tranquility away from that situation.

Benjamin has been a huge part of the Panthers' game plan offensively since entering the league in his first three seasons in the league. That should remain much of the same even with the addition of rookie running back Christian McCaffery.

He is Carolina's most productive receiving threat given his size and strength along with his playmaking ability despite a noticeable dip in production last season in his first year since returning from an ACL tear. This could set the table for what could be his best individual campaign of his brief career with the Panthers.