Panthers QB Bryce Young shows ‘passion’ at OTA opener 

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who set several career bests in 2025, is growing as a leader heading into his fourth NFL season.

The Carolina Panthers went back to work Tuesday and Bryce Young established an immediate tone. 

Following a brief “monsoon” at the practice fields behind Bank of America Stadium, the Panthers’ fourth-year quarterback took acceptation to the effort he witnessed during the first day of NFL offseason-training activities. 

The sloppiness continued after the brief hard rain and that was unacceptable to Young, who appears to be maturing as a team leader. 

Young paused and exuberantly expressed his expectations. 

“It’s not raining anymore," Young said, standing before his teammates, arms extended. “Clean this (expletive) up. It’s not (expletive) raining. We need better execution.”

Canales smirked when asked about Young’s flare-up. 

“I love it,” Canales said via Panthers.com. “I heard him get a little passionate. I love it that he’s taking ownership of that, and the guys see that and rally around that.”

Young’s outburst may have proved to be the highlight moment from the off-season’s first 91-man squad practice that featured several intriguing storylines.  

Devin Lloyd building trust 

Tuesday marked the debut of the Panthers’ two top-tier free-agent signings: outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd, who appears to be embracing the region’s entertainment offerings. 

Lloyd attended Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway and previously took in the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA play-in game and a concert. More importantly, though, he approves of the area’s taco industry. 

“I’m a taco lover and I’ve tried so many,” Lloyd said after practice. “It’s cool having different events out here. I try to get in the best mix I can.”  

Lloyd’s primary OTA concerns center on building trust with the new coaching staff.  

“Trust is built over time,” he said. “It’s a day-to-day process.” 

Lloyd is expected to start alongside Trevin Wallace in the 3-4 base defense.  Wallace continues to work his way back from last season’s shoulder injury, but has started developing a rapport with Lloyd. 

“Trevin’s super sharp, really smart,” Lloyd said. “Obviously, he’s been in this defense for some time now, so he’s very familiar with that. It’s been really easy working with him. Encouraging. I look forward to him taking that next step in his career and having a great season.  

“Injuries have hindered his performance, so it’ll be great for him to be healthy and just have a season of 100% or as close to it as possible. But it’s been great working with him.” 

Rookies stand out 

Speaking of wide receivers dropping passes, it’ll be interesting to see where third-year player Xavier Legette is listed on the depth chart. 

Is he a WR3? Or is it third-round draft pick Chris Brazzell II’s role to lose? Brazzell displayed his speed on a go route Tuesday, drawing a pass interference call from cornerback Corey Thornton. 

Lee Hunter is another rookie to watch. The former Texas Tech standout could earn early-career snaps with Turk Wharton out indefinitely following neck surgery. Canales said the Panthers didn’t know about Wharton’s neck injury at the time of April’s draft. 

Some NFL insiders initially questioned Morgan for trading up to draft Hunter, a run-stuffing nose tackle. Few question the move now. 

Is Jonathon Brooks healthy enough to claim RB2 role?  

One of the big questions entering OTAs was how running back Jonathon Brooks’ knee will hold up after missing all of 2025 recovering from back-to-back right knee operations?  

The Panthers, who allowed last season’s leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, to depart via free agency, need the 2024 second-round draft pick to emerge as Chuba Hubbard’s primary backup.  

“It brings me a lot of joy to be see him out there,” Canales told reporters. “Didn’t see any hesitation. Just a lot of speed and decisiveness in how he ran the ball today. Got him on the perimeter on a screen and made some good yards.” 

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