Panthers QB Bryce Young impresses with throws on the run in camp: ‘Fantastic, aggressive’

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Bryce Young rolled out to his right on Monday and kept his eyes glued to the action in front of him. And after a short but fierce rain storm came and went in Uptown Charlotte, the rookie quarterback offered a rainbow down the sideline for good measure.

Young, on the run, tossed a perfectly arched ball down the right side of the field for tight end Ian Thomas, who beat his defender for a highlight catch of roughly 20 yards before stumbling out of bounds.

That wasn’t a familiar showing from Young last season. But it was a trademark of the second-year quarterback’s tenure at Alabama during his historic reign as the Crimson Tide’s top signal-caller.

For the Panthers, it was kind to rewind to that college highlight reel.

“Fantastic, aggressive,” head coach Dave Canales said. “He’s looking down there, top-down. You’ll always have your options here. But again, we’re talking about after the play. And him being able to. We’ll be able to find some explosive plays in there. And he’ll know, when it’s covered, tuck it down, go get us some yards and take care of the quarterback at the end of it.

“But I’m excited about that because it trains the whole group. It trains the defense, because there are going to be scramble quarterbacks and they’ll have to continue their coverage. Their assignment. There are going to be plays for our offense, where this is the second or third play, and that’s when your conditioning really comes into play, and trust it. Go get that next ball, we’ll take care of you, and we’ll make our substitutions. But he’s training the whole group. The line has to continue to block and know when to let go. So it’s the whole thing.”

Young made a few off-script tosses on the day. He connected with Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo and others as he worked the pocket with efficiency and thew the ball with accuracy throughout the afternoon. While his three previous practice performances were fine — not at all unimpressive, but rather uneventful — Young wheeled and dealt like he was in Tuscaloosa for the first time in a long time on the soggy practice field outside of Bank of America Stadium.

Canales, the first-year head coach put in charge of Young’s development, liked what he saw from the young signal-caller to start his second week of summer workouts.

“Saw some really good throws,” Canales said. “I get excited about, OK, pocket’s over, time to move, and he keeps his eyes down field and found some nice completions after the timing of the play on the move. We’re not sitting there, we’re not camping there, he’s moving with that intentionality, we’ll just keep pushing it.

“It’s an ongoing thing. I’m pleased with that. And I’m really pleased with just the pre-snap mechanics. We look like a football team. We look like an offense who knows what they’re doing. We’re still going to fine-tune it, we’re looking for perfection always. But I’m happy with the growth day-to-day from an operational standpoint.”

Panthers injury update: Special teams standout sidelined, wide receiver hurt

Safety Sam Franklin was nowhere to be found on the practice field on Monday. Following practice, Canales said the team confirmed this week that Franklin suffered a broken foot during “Back Together Saturday” practice at Bank of America Stadium.

Notably, the Panthers practice on grass on their practice field, while the team works on turf in the stadium, a difference that has been highly scrutinized by players and fans over the years.

According to Canales, the team is still figuring out their options with Franklin’s roster status. The head coach expects Franklin to return at some point this season.

“That’s a huge hit for us,” Canales said about Franklin. “He’s a fantastic, spirited guy. Really the leader of the special teams unit and someone that we’re really going to count on. So we really gotta make sure we hit this rehab the right way, and Sam will come back to us at the right time. So really praying for him, pulling for him.”

The team also practiced without linebacker Shaq Thompson (illness) and tight end Tommy Tremble (hamstring). Both players were present on the field during drills and were engaged with teammates throughout the workout. Left guard Damien Lewis (shoulder) took part in individual drills before being replaced by second-year lineman Chandler Zavala in 11-on-11 drills.

The team also dealt with another in-practice injury, as wide receiver Daewood Davis went down following a 1-on-1 coverage rep. He was down on the ground for several minutes after falling awkwardly to the grass. Canales, fellow wideout David Moore and others checked on Davis before he was assisted onto the back of a cart and driven off the field.

Following practice, Canales said Davis suffered an unspecified thigh injury.

Along with the new injuries, running back Jonathon Brooks remained on the active/non-football (NFI) list. Outside linebackers D.J. Wonnum (quad), Amare Barno (knee) and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (undisclosed) remained on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Jonathan Mingo and Bryce Young building chemistry

Following up on his big day Saturday, Mingo said after practice Monday that he and Young had a great offseason together and that the two of them are “in a good groove right now.”

Mingo was one of a select few to work out with Young in California ahead of minicamp this summer. He joked that Young woke up early — “8 a.m. in California, you know there’s traffic,” he mused — and that he got to see Young a bit more off-the field, including during a batting-practice session. (Joked Mingo, who was once a standout centerfielder: “He’s not really that good at baseball.”)

The reprieve was a good one for Mingo, who this offseason had been surrounded by questions after he struggled as a rookie in 2023 and the Panthers drafted Xavier Legette in the first round of the 2024 draft. He’s been able to block out the noise after his first year, though, he said, and focus on having a good year.

“I don’t care what nobody else but God has to say,” Mingo said. “So I don’t listen. I block out all the outside noise and worry about me everyday.”

Ignoring naysayers is something he’s worked on since his sophomore year at Ole Miss. He said there was a time when he was getting frustrated that he just needed to know that “my opportunity is gonna come, I have to be patient.” That’s turned out to be true thus far this training camp, which included a Saturday event where he turned heads in 11 series and one-on-ones.

Just as Mingo was high on Young — Mingo complimented Young’s out-of-pocket creativity just as Canales did on Monday — he was high on Legette, too.

“Legette can hit pretty good too,” Mingo said, going back to his baseball days for a second. “He’s cool. Everybody used to look at me as the country guy on the team. So he came in, and now I’m in second place. And Coach Moore can’t understand him, so every time he asks a question, (receivers coach Rob Moore) is just looking at him confused, and we all just start laughing every time. But he cool. Got good energy. A fun guy to be around.”

Marshall does it again: Play of the day

During 7-on-7 drills, wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. got a step on cornerback D’Shawn Jamison down the field. Backup quarterback Andy Dalton launched a ball roughly 40 to 45 yards down the field, and Marshall jumped over Jamison’s coverage to haul the ball into his body.

Marshall’s momentum took him into the end zone for a touchdown. The crowd and offensive line sideline erupted and Marshall threw the ball in the air in celebration.

In three consecutive practices, Marshall has arguably made the offensive play of the day. He also made a nice diving catch later in practice during 11-on-11 drills.

Quick hits

▪ Incumbent starting kicker Eddy Piñeiro is facing offseason competition this summer. And as of now, he is creating a rather long distance between himself and rookie Harrison Mevis. For the second time in training camp, Piñeiro went 5 of 5 on field goal attempts. This performance followed Mevis’ 3-of-5 performance during “Back Together Saturday.” It’s going to take a mighty turnaround for Mevis to unseat Piñeiro, but it is still early. Then again, Piñeiro has been one of the most accurate kickers in the league over the past two years, and if he just stays healthy, all should stay static in the specialist room.

▪ Cornerback Dane Jackson had another impressive play in coverage during 7-on-7 work. He broke up a Young pass meant for Marshall as the defensive back got in front of the playmaker with an extended arm.

▪ Last year’s fifth-round pick, Jammie Robinson, got work with the nickel cornerback group and safety crew on Monday. Robinson might have been the biggest beneficiary of Franklin’s injury, as Robinson is a special teams standout at defensive back. The safety room is stacked with roster-worthy talent, so Robinson proving himself to be versatile would be to his benefit in the numbers game ahead of roster cuts.

▪ Legette appeared to be deliberately featured on Monday. He made a couple of grabs over the middle 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. He caught the ball well and showed some speed after the catch after one particular grab. He’s gotten off to a slow start but so have most of the rookies in the draft class.

▪ Fourth-round pick, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, made an excellent catch during 1-on-1 coverage drills between the linebackers and the running backs and tight ends. Sanders reached up and extended his arms to haul in a pass over linebacker Claudin Cherelus.

Fellow rookie, third-round pick Trevin Wallace, had an up-and-down performance in the drill. He got shook up by running back Mike Boone, who got open with ease to make a catch. Then, later in the same drill, Wallace broke up a pass meant for rookie running back Jaden Shirden.

Seventh-round pick Michael Barrett, a fellow linebacker, was one-upped by veteran tight end Jordan Matthews as the playmaker easily hauled in a pass in the drill.

▪ Running back Miles Sanders rotated with projected starter Chuba Hubbard during first-team 11-on-11 drills. Marshall, Legette and tight end Stephen Sullivan also got some first-team reps.

▪ The Panthers’ next training camp practice will take place on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The practice is sold out for fan attendance, according to the team.

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Proceeds from the event will go toward the Best Defense Foundation, a charity founded by former NFL linebacker Donnie Edwards in 2018. OMB Ballantyne also will make a donation to the foundation based on customers rounding up their check totals during the month of August.

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