CHARLOTTE – The idea of Charles Johnson and Kony Ealy starting together at defensive end for the Panthers has been locked in for seemingly a long time, so much so that it's easy to forget that the duo has actually only started together for a short time.
When the Panthers kick off the season Thursday night at the Denver Broncos, it will mark just the third time Johnson and Ealy have started opposite each other.
"Since I've been here, there have been a lot of guys come through who I haven't started together with before, but you see how we've gelled," said Johnson, entering his seventh consecutive season as a starter.