Panthers with most to prove: Bryce Young and 7 other players facing pivotal seasons

New York Times

21-05-2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As far as offseasons go, this one was calm by Carolina Panthers standards.
The head coach, general manager and quarterback are all back, which has been a rarity around Bank of America Stadium during David Tepper's seven-year tenure as owner. Head coach Dave Canales made several staff changes, mostly on the defensive side after the Panthers allowed more points in 2024 than any NFL team over a 17-game schedule.
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The Panthers cut a few veteran players, most notably edge rusher and 2014 No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney, running back Miles Sanders and tight end Jordan Matthews. But relatively speaking, there was a sense of normalcy as Tepper exhibited trust in Canales, general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, all of whom were hired in January 2024.
Bryce Young, for one, was appreciative.
'It's nice having this first year of having that comfortability and familiarity with the system, with the coaching staff. Just a little bit of stability definitely has gone a long way for me and I think everyone on the team,' Young said recently.
'It's not so much about finding it and trying to figure it out and trying to learn. It's more just about growing and executing and being the best version of ourselves. Having that approach and mindset, it's huge — especially in comparison.'
But with no playoff appearances since buying the team from the late Jerry Richardson in 2018, Tepper's patience will extend only so far. The Panthers, who improved from two wins to five in Canales' first season, must make another leap forward.
Certain players and position groups need to step up to help the Panthers end their playoff drought. The Athletic looks at eight with the most to prove in 2025.
Even after Young bounced back strong from a Week 3 benching, Canales was hesitant to anoint him as the every-week starter. Canales has said that was more about respecting Andy Dalton and his status as a veteran leader. But Canales was all in on Young by the end of the season. Now the challenge for the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is to shape his system to best take advantage of Young's talents, much as Canales did with Baker Mayfield in 2023.
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As for Young, the No. 1 pick from two years ago can't come out flat like the early part of last season, when he often looked defeated during games. Compare that to the version of Young from late in the year, when he was sidestepping pass rushers in Philadelphia, making pinpoint throws — on and off schedule — and playing with a swagger and confidence not seen since Alabama (see his look-away TD pass to Tommy Tremble).
Young took a next step last year. Another big one awaits: proving he's a top-tier quarterback capable of leading the Panthers to regular playoff appearances and worthy of the type of contract Brock Purdy just received.
Bryce Young SHEESH
📺: #CARvsPHI on FOX📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/t2kW0MnfRx
— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024
Had Legette, last year's first-round pick, shown more in his first NFL season, there's a chance Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker would be in Charlotte for OTAs this month as the Panthers' pick at No. 8. But Legette struggled with drops and inconsistency in 2024 and did not look like a No. 1 receiver. Thus, the decision to take Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan, who caught passes from Young one day during the offseason at a California training facility.
The Panthers claim picking McMillan was not an indictment of Legette, but that's certainly how it looks. Perhaps McMillan's arrival takes some pressure off Legette, who battled wrist and foot injuries (the latter of which required offseason surgery) during an up-and-down rookie year.
Receivers coach Rob Moore called Legette one of the toughest players he's been around and commended him for not making excuses.
'But I think when we got toward the end of it a little bit, he was kind of gutting through it,' Moore said. 'He's a tough player that's tough-minded and it was good to see him have the resiliency to push through some of those things, which is hard for a lot of rookies. Developing that tough skin for some players takes a number of years.'
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Here's how quickly things can turn in the NFL, especially for players at premium positions. Last winter, it wasn't a slam dunk the Panthers would pick up Horn's fifth-year option, given that he'd missed 29 of 51 games over his first three seasons due to injury. The Panthers eventually exercised the option on Horn, whose improved offseason regimen resulted in Horn playing well over a career-high 15 games in 2024 and convinced the Panthers to sign him to a huge extension in March.
Horn's four-year, $100 million deal briefly made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, a title he held for a week until the Houston Texans signed Derek Stingley to a three-year extension worth an average of $30 million a year. With that money comes more responsibility for Horn, who needs to start stacking Pro Bowl appearances (he made his first last season) while remaining a shutdown corner.
Ekwonu is sitting in the same spot as Horn last year — a one-time first-round pick at an important position looking for a life-changing contract. The Panthers negotiated with their left tackle on an extension before picking up his fifth-year option, which is worth a guaranteed $17.6 million in 2026. Ekwonu, who went to high school in Charlotte and played at NC State, said he wants to be in Carolina for the 'glory days.' And the Panthers would like to hang on to Ekwonu, but at the right place.
While Horn's issues were staying on the field, Ekwonu's have been related to performance — specifically, struggling to keep speed rushers off Young. Ekwonu's pass protection was much better last year while working with offensive line coach Joe Gilbert. The tackle known as 'Ickey' needs to continue on that upward trajectory to be rewarded in a similar fashion as Horn.
'Seeing Jaycee's contract, I was excited for him. We play different positions. You never really know what way it's going to shake versus another,' Ekwonu said. 'But definitely excited to have Jaycee locked in with us. I'm hoping to be locked in just as much as he is by the next couple years.'
The Panthers thought they were in good shape with free-agent defensive tackle Milton Williams before the New England Patriots swooped in and signed the former Eagles interior player to a massive four-year, $104 million contract. Morgan and Tilis then pivoted to a couple of other players up front, with their biggest cash outlay going to Wharton, the former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle.
Wharton didn't get Williams money. But his three-year, $45 million contract — with $30.25 million guaranteed — was substantial for a player who never had more than two sacks over his first four seasons before breaking out with 6.5 last year. It helped that Wharton played alongside Chris Jones, who occupied plenty of blockers. But the Panthers have their own Pro Bowl defensive lineman in Derrick Brown, who was impressed with Wharton's work ethic during the offseason program.
'He works damn hard. Ever since he's been here, we work out together,' Brown said. 'It's been one of those things where we get to spend that time here and actually get to start building that relationship that translates to the field.'
Corbett and Mays, who will compete for the starting spot at center, aren't on this list because they have to prove they are deserving of their contracts. Quite the contrary: Both re-upped with the Panthers on one-year deals for about $3 million. (Mays was a restricted free agent.)
Instead, both will be playing for future contracts while hoping to stay healthy and shore up the interior of an offensive line that was one of the team's strengths in 2024. The health piece of this is especially true for Corbett, who's dealt with serious injuries each of the past three seasons. With the four other spots up front secure, the position battle at center will be worth watching this summer.
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The fourth-round pick from Texas had carved out a fairly prominent place in the passing game before landing on his neck while being tackled following a catch against the Chiefs in Week 12. Sanders was inactive the following week and was ineffective while playing with a sprained neck down the stretch.
Before the injury, Sanders five games with at least three receptions, including a six-catch effort at Washington. The Panthers re-signed veteran Tremble and added another tight end in the draft this year by selecting Notre Dame's Mitchell Evans in the fifth round. But Sanders is more of a receiving threat than Evans and can be a weapon for Young when healthy.
(Top photos of Bryce Young and Jaycee Horn: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)