The Carolina Panthers have already gotten the obvious headlines. Bryce Young is drawing MVP chants.
Tetairoa McMillan is getting league-wide attention. Chuba Hubbard keeps stacking numbers and climbing the record books while going about his business.
But if the Panthers are going to keep building on that 2-2 start, the noise around the stars won’t be enough. A handful of less-heralded players are about to carry more weight, especially with injuries pressing on the roster. These five stand out as the ones who have to hold up their end after the bye.
Brycen Tremayne is one of those players Panthers fans have started to learn by heart. He’s already known around the team as a “core four player” and a “special teams ace,” and against the Detroit Lions he showed why he matters in more than one phase. Tremayne was on the field for 92% of the offensive snaps and 53% of special teams snaps, giving Carolina production and versatility in the same game.
His role is set to grow even more with Xavier Legette out for at least three more games because of a knee injury. At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Tremayne has the length and athleticism Dave Canales wants in his X and Z receivers, and that should mean more chances in the passing game.
Bryce Young has no issue looking his way either. Through four games, Tremayne has six catches on nine targets for 115 yards, which is already closing in on his total from 2025, when he finished with 160 yards.
Trevor Etienne is another piece Carolina needs back in the mix. The reserve running back and starting punt and kick returner is expected to be active for the Week 6 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Canales last week. Etienne began the year on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury in the final preseason game this summer.
When he returns, the Panthers want him to add juice to the return game and give the offense a different flavor. He brings a mix of the burst Jimmy Horn Jr. offers and the steadiness David Moore provides.
That matters now more than ever, with Hubbard shouldering almost all of the rushing load through four weeks. The situation got even thinner when backup Jonathon Brooks landed on IR after surgery to his core.
Etienne can help absorb some of that burden and offer a receiving element out of the backfield when called on.
Up front, Luke Fortner has a heavy assignment. The Panthers need more stability inside, and the starting center is at the center of it.
Fortner, a free-agent addition, has had a rough start by the numbers, allowing 15 pressures and one sack through four games, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s also snapping to a quarterback who’s being pressured at the highest rate in the NFL, 47.2%.
His run blocking has been better, but Carolina needs him to tighten up across the board as the season moves along.
That job becomes even more important with Damien Lewis dealing with an elbow injury. Lewis missed Week 4, and while he should be back for Week 6, he still has to work through the return-to-play process.
The cornerback spot is where the Panthers’ depth is being tested hardest, and rookie Will Lee has found himself in the middle of it. Carolina lost Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on the same day, and that kind of double hit would rattle any secondary.
Akayleb Evans has also been under the microscope, with questions about whether Chau Smith-Wade could take his place. Lee hasn’t gotten the same attention, but that’s mostly because he’s going to have to play no matter what.
So far, he’s handled himself well. He’s usually in the right spot and he tackles cleanly.
Against the Browns, he arguably should have had an interception - and might even have taken it back for a touchdown. The challenge now is keeping that level up through at least Week 12, when Carolina could first expect Horn and Jackson back.
That stretch includes a tough run of quarterbacks, with Jalen Hurts, potentially Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love and Lamar Jackson on the schedule.
Princely Umanmielen rounds out the list. The second-year outside linebacker hasn’t been perfect, but he’s flashed real upside. He already has a career-high three sacks, and he’s done that on just 130 snaps, which works out to 45.6% of the defensive snaps this season.
His role could expand against Philadelphia and beyond, especially while Jaelan Phillips deals with a hamstring injury of uncertain length. More snaps should mean more chances to get after the quarterback, but they’ll also ask more of Umanmielen overall.
That means setting the edge, helping against the run and keeping the pocket contained, not just chasing sacks. Coaches have talked for a while about how high his ceiling is.
Now he’s about to be tested more often.
In Other News...
Panthers Finally Get Two Key Linemen Back In A Crucial Stretch
The Panthers are getting a little healthier at a time when every snap matters, with head coach Dave Canales announcing that defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton and offensive tackle Taylor Moton have been designated to return to practice. Both have been on the shelf for a while, Wharton after neck surgery and Moton because of a blood clot in his lung, so simply getting them back on the field is an important step for a team trying to stabilize both lines.
Now the clock starts on a 21-day window that will determine whether either player makes it back to the 53-man roster before the season moves on without them. Wharton and Moton give Carolina a chance to add depth and experience in two critical spots, but the Panthers still have to navigate the next few weeks carefully, with each player needing to show enough in practice to earn activation rather than remain sidelined for the rest of the year. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Finally Have Injury Hope With One Big Week 6 Catch
For a Panthers team that has spent much of the early season managing injuries as much as matchups, there is finally some encouraging news on the horizon. Coach Dave Canales said wide receiver Jalen Coker is on track to return from a quadriceps injury for Week 6, with the next few practices serving as the final checkpoint. Carolina has stayed in the mix by going 2-2 and sitting atop the NFC South, but getting another piece back in the passing game would give the offense a welcome boost.
There is also movement elsewhere on the roster, with offensive tackle Taylor Moton and defensive lineman Turk Wharton having their practice windows opened. That does not guarantee an immediate return, but it does signal that both players are moving in the right direction as Carolina tries to build some stability entering a pivotal stretch. For a team still trying to piece together its healthiest version, the coming week could matter almost as much for who gets back on the field as for what happens in the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Canales Used The Bye Week To Address A Panthers Concern
Dave Canales spent Carolinas bye week doing more than simply giving the Panthers a break. With the team sitting at 2-2 and holding first place in the NFC South, the head coach used the downtime to revisit the kind of game-management details that can swing close contests, pointing to recent decisions around the league as teaching moments for his own group. It was the sort of self-scouting message that fits a team trying to stay ahead in a division race while still tightening up the basics.
The timing matters, too, because Carolina comes out of the break with the Eagles next on the schedule. Canales referenced the kinds of controversial calls made by Nick Sirianni and Dan Quinn that altered outcomes for their teams, a reminder that late-game choices can shape far more than the final minute. For a Panthers team that has shown enough to lead the division but still has plenty to clean up, the bye became a chance to stress how quickly those decisions can turn a good week into a frustrating one. [Read more 🡒]