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One of the best and most comprehensive features we offer every year is our Footballguys Preseason Updates. Every week this month, Dave Kluge, Clayton Gray, and their team of Footballguys Staffers cover every player that matters from every NFL team. It's 32-plus pages of some of the most comprehensive coverage you'll find. It's probably worth the Footballguys Premium Subscription by itself.
Updates from Week 4
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
Bryce Young will enter Week 1 showing noticeable growth, better processing speed, increased pocket awareness, and tighter ball placement throughout camp. Even after a tough joint practice against Houston's stout defensive front, Young's steady leadership and intent to learn from early adversity highlight his continued maturation as he enters his fourth season. Starting tackles Ikem Ekwonu (patellar tendon) and Taylor Moton (blood clot) remain sidelined but are expected to return sometime around mid-October. Rookie first-round pick right tackle Monroe Freeling and left tackle Rasheed Walker continue to gain valuable reps as Week 1 approaches, making this group a much more aligned unit by midseason. Carolina is expected to name Kenny Pickett as the backup, and rookie Haynes King should be the third quarterback after the team released Kyle Trask.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
Head coach Dave Canales confirmed Chuba Hubbard is ahead of schedule in his hamstring strain recovery and is expected to play in Week 1 against Chicago as the primary early-down rushing threat. Hubbard's return sets up a dynamic 1-2 punch alongside Jonathon Brooks, who wrapped up a dominant camp. In Hubbard's absence, Brooks took advantage of first-team, goal-line, and third-down reps in joint practices, proving his knee is 100 percent healthy. Canales plans to utilize a committee approach, offering a sturdy floor with Hubbard while Brooks brings an explosive element with pass-catching and goal-line touches. The duo has the potential to be one of the league's better running back combinations.
Preseason Updates: Wide Receivers
Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette enter Week 1 locked in as Bryce Young's primary targets — McMillan as the focal X-receiver commanding boundary routes, Coker as the intermediate slot safety valve in 11 personnel, and Legette stretching the field as the explosive Z-receiver. Behind the starters, the competition for the remaining roster spots came down to the wire in Friday's 16-13 preseason finale win over Houston. John Metchie III cemented his roster case by finishing as Carolina's preseason receiving leader with 11 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown across the summer, proving his sharp route-running translates inside or outside to press the starting trio for snaps. Undrafted rookie Ja'seem Reed made a late push by leading the Panthers with 37 receiving yards on two catches against Houston, and Jimmy Horn Jr. continued showcasing his explosive return-game value. However, head coach Dave Canales highlighted veteran David Moore's steady consistency and special teams coverage work, giving Moore a strong floor to stick as a trusted rotational reserve over the younger bubble options.
Preseason Updates: Tight Ends
The late-August addition of Darren Waller shakes up the tight end room. Waller admitted the playbook initially looked like "Mandarin Chinese" as he ramps up his conditioning, but his history with associate head coach Darrell Bevell and proven red-zone production give him a strong path once integrated. Behind Waller, roles remain clearly defined: Tommy Tremble is the primary inline blocking tight end and base-formation starter for early-down rushing schemes, Ja'Tavion Sanders is the move/flex tight end in 11- and 12-personnel controlling intermediate pass work up the seam, and Mitchell Evans is the traditional reserve option for heavy run packages.
Preseason Updates: Defense
Ejiro Evero's defense received a major boost with the late-August signing of veteran inside linebacker Bobby Okereke on a one-year deal, which came alongside several roster moves. General Manager Dan Morgan, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, personally targeted Okereke after verifying his tape matched his heavy tackle numbers, as Okereke brings the film-backed instincts and three-down, green-dot durability needed to solidify the middle of Evero's scheme. His arrival instantly elevates Carolina's core starters: his dirty work against the run frees Devin Lloyd to roam as a primary playmaker and keeps teams from double-teaming interior anchor Derrick Brown, while his pre-snap communication allows edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to attack on passing downs and takes pressure off Jaycee Horn in the secondary, turning a questionable linebacking corps into a legitimate strength for Week 1 and beyond.
Preseason Updates: Returners
Trevor Etienne will reprise his rookie season as Carolina’s top return option on both punts and kickoffs.
Updates from Week 3
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
Bryce Young looked much more comfortable under center in Carolina's preseason game at Jacksonville, going 5-of-6 passing for 49 yards and leading a 7-play, 58-yard touchdown drive on his second possession. Young and the Panthers also found success versus Jacksonville in joint practices this week, as Panthers QB Bryce Young gave the Jaguars defense particular frustration. The primary driver of Young's bounce-back was the stabilization of the interior offensive line, with starting guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis both returning to action and instantly solidifying the interior pocket. With starting tackles Taylor Moton, sidelined with a blood clot in his lung, and Ikem Ekwonu, out with a knee injury, first-round rookie Monroe Freeling — the 19th overall pick — earned the start at right tackle. The Georgia product anchored well in pass protection against Jacksonville's starting edge rushers and paved the way for Jonathon Brooks' 1-yard touchdown run, while veteran free-agent signee Rasheed Walker held down left tackle; together, Freeling's emergence gives Carolina real confidence in its offensive line depth while the starters heal. Kenny Pickett saw extensive action into the second half, completing 15 of 25 passes for 137 yards and a 16-yard touchdown throw to Roc Taylor, effectively locking down the backup job. Kyle Trask added a late 15-yard touchdown pass to Casey Washington, who finished with four receptions for 47 yards and a score, while Haynes King remained sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
With starter Chuba Hubbard watching from the sideline while recovering from a week-to-week hamstring injury, rookie Jonathon Brooks stepped into the starting role for the second consecutive week and delivered his biggest moment of the summer, capping Carolina's second drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on 5 carries for 18 yards. Brooks handled all first-team rushing work during his action, showing excellent vision behind Freeling and the retooled line while proving his knee is fully healthy. Hubbard's Week 1 availability remains up in the air, though coach Dave Canales expressed that he's confident Hubbard will be available for Week 1 against Chicago. Free-agent addition AJ Dillon handled short-yardage and goal-line duties with the second team, capitalizing with a 7-yard touchdown run among his 5 carries for 16 yards in the second quarter. Trevor Etienne (5 carries, 24 yards), Anthony Tyus III (9 carries, 39 yards) and Miles Davis (3 carries, 11 yards) rounded out the second-half rotational snaps.