The Panthers’ loss to the Broncos came with plenty of reasons to stew over, but there were a few things in Sunday’s mess that still deserved a closer look. Strip away the controversy and the frustration, and there were at least some signs of life worth noting.
Start with Bryce Young. After back-to-back games that didn’t inspire much confidence, he answered with one of his better outings in a while.
The concerns around him had grown louder, especially with the offensive line struggling and the defense not doing him many favors, and the chatter around a possible contract extension only added fuel to the noise. Against a Broncos defense that sits near the top of the league in pressure and takeaways, Young settled in and kept the offense moving.
He finished with 276 yards, three touchdowns and a 71.8% completion rate.
There was also a real shift in how the Panthers used their tight ends. Darren Waller turned in an 8-catch, 90-yard performance Sunday and now has 299 receiving yards on the season.
That already tops Tommy Tremble’s 249 yards in 2025, which had been the high-water mark for the position. Tremble’s 249 yards were a career best, and he’s currently about 80 yards short of that total in 2026.
The young players chipped in too, even if the game was littered with penalties and other breakdowns. Tetairoa McMillan kept building momentum, coming through with a key first down and a touchdown while matched up against Patrick Surtain.
Lee Hunter made his presence felt on several snaps, including a strong tackle for loss early in the game, and that kind of impact should earn him more than the 13 snaps he got Sunday. Chau Smith-Wade had multiple pass break-ups that saved touchdowns, while Corey Thornton forced Bo Nix into the first interception of his career.
There was something encouraging on the defensive front as well, even if the overall picture still isn’t clean. The Panthers’ run defense has been all over the place and currently ranks 28th in the NFL, but they held Denver to 82 rushing yards and 3 yards per carry.
For a defense that Todd Wash is trying to reshape, that’s a step in the right direction. The hope now is that it becomes more than a one-off.
And, as always, the injury situation hangs over everything. Dave Canales said Monday that Xavier Legette’s practice window will open this week.
He also said Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and Jonathon Brooks are close, while Brady Christensen is likely to return in the next couple of weeks. The Panthers are also still waiting on Damien Lewis, Bobby Okereke and Jaelan Philips, who remain on the active roster.
Next up is New Orleans, with the Panthers set to face the Saints for the first time this season. Until then, keep pounding.
In Other News...
Panthers Just Sent A Clear Message In This NFC South Race
The NFC South has become a strange race of attrition, with all four teams sitting below .500 and the Panthers right in the middle of it at 3-5. While New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Atlanta have all made moves in recent days, Carolina has stayed put, even with injuries piling up around the roster and an important stretch of the schedule still ahead.
For a team that is still very much alive in the division picture, the quiet approach says plenty about how Carolina views the next few weeks. The Panthers are preparing to face the Saints in an upcoming game, and with the standings this tight, every decision carries extra weight. The lack of a trade is its own message, one that leaves the focus on the current group and on whether it can seize an opening in a division no one has managed to separate from yet. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Face A Bigger Derrick Brown Debate After Eagles Trade
The Eagles decision to move Jordan Davis to Jacksonville for a future first-round pick and a second-rounder only sharpens the conversation around what Carolina did, and did not, do before the trade deadline. There were trade inquiries on Derrick Brown, but the Panthers held onto one of the most important pieces of their defense, a choice that reflected both his value and the reality of where this roster stands.
Browns situation now looks even more interesting in the wake of that deal. Philadelphia turned a young defensive tackle into draft capital, while Carolina kept its own interior anchor despite the kind of salary-cap and team-building pressure that can make a move tempting. The Panthers clearly viewed Brown as more than a trade chip, but the contrast with the Eagles approach leaves open a bigger question about how Carolina plans to balance immediate needs against long-term flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Took A Risk At The Deadline In A Wide-Open NFC South
The Panthers chose not to make a move at the NFL trade deadline, even with reported interest in a few players and a division race that remains very much up for grabs. CBS Sports analyst Zachary Pereles handed Carolina a C- for standing pat, pointing to obvious needs at cornerback and along the offensive line after injuries have thinned out key spots.
Carolina still sits in first place in the NFC South at 3-5, which is the kind of record that makes the deadline feel like a chance to add help without losing sight of the bigger picture. Instead, the Panthers are banking on injured starters returning to stabilize the roster, a bet that could look prudent if the health breaks their way or costly if the depth issues keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]