Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, left, laughs in response as he and quarterback Bryce Young have a playful exchange during the second day of minicamp in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Tetairoa McMillan, the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick whose arrival has already inspired considerable intrigue, missed Wednesday’s minicamp session due to a minor injury sustained on Tuesday.
The good news?
The Panthers offense still had a great day.
With the rookie 6-foot-4 wideout watching from the sideline, quarterback Bryce Young threw dimes, Jalen Coker played fast and Xavier Legette had one of his best outings of his sophomore summer to date — which included two touchdown receptions in back-to-back reps that drew praise from his head coach.
But first, an update on McMillan.
“TMac’s fine,” head coach Dave Canales told reporters after the open workout. “He went down for a ball and got kicked in the leg and it swelled up, so we just as a precautionary sat him out today. Hopefully we’ll get him back out here tomorrow.”
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, far right, watches practice from the sideline during the second day of minicamp in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
McMillan wasn’t the only receiver who was out Wednesday. Veteran wideout Adam Thielen also didn’t practice; he had a rest day. So opportunities abounded for a wide receiver room that will force this coaching staff to make tough decisions come September — and many impressed.
The first player who warrants mentioning is Legette.
It wouldn’t be sensational to say that a lot of eyes are on Legette as he approaches his second season. The 6-foot-1, 221-pound wideout didn’t struggle to get open but occasionally dropped passes he shouldn’t have during his rookie campaign. Take a pair of passes during the Cincinnati Bengals game that could’ve turned that game’s tide. Or the late-game strike Young delivered to Legette against the Eagles that could’ve led to an upset of the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Add the fact that the Panthers added to their WR depth early in this year’s draft in taking McMillan, and pressure could mount.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette, right, is pulled down by Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday, December 1, 2024. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Legette, however, has been playing free this offseason. He said as much in OTAs last month. Wednesday, he looked great, with Young being his biggest supporter. Three of the several highlight plays:
▪ Young fired the ball from the pocket to the sideline, finding Legette, who plucked the ball out of the air with cornerback-camp-standout Shemar Bartholomew in coverage and kept his feet in-bounds. No body catch, by the way — all hands.
▪ In red zone work, Young rolled to his left, surveying the field. With no one open, he appeared to “throw-open” Legette, hitting the second-year receiver on his back shoulder as he crossed the field. Legette showcased the athleticism to cut back and corral the pass as he slid on the grass.
▪ The next play, in red zone work again, Young found Legette on a crossing route. Another touchdown — this one with a bit less traffic to combat.
Panthers defensive backs break down their huddle before team scrimmages begin during the second day of minicamp in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
But it wasn’t Legette alone who impressed. Coker made a few good contested catches, bouncing back after being visibly frustrated from a drop along the sideline in one rep. Renfrow has clearly earned a lot of attention. David Moore, too, caught a pair of touchdown passes — including the final play of practice, a slant route from the 2-yard-line, to “break the tie” to punctuate a day in which the offense and defense competed evenly.
“We’re starting to see the coverages, the defense is seeing our concepts, so it’s getting harder and harder to create those plays,” Canales said. “(We even did) a little trick play, kind of catch-and-toss third-and-long type-feel there. So any edge we can find.”
Panthers head coach Dave Canales watches different positions groups practie during the second day of minicamp in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Another day of Bryce Young looking good
Young, the Panthers’ third-year quarterback, had a loud beginning to this week’s minicamp. It was highlighted by his chirping with Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn on Tuesday — something the soft-spoken and ultra-respectful Young hadn’t showcased all that much in his first two years at the helm.
Wednesday, Young was loud again.
His play did a bulk of the talking. Young looked the most comfortable on Wednesday when he was outside of the pocket rolling to his left or right. That checks out, as his emergence last season came when he accessed his legs and discovered his elusiveness was an asset as much as his processing power was.
Canales said Young has been a leader all spring and summer. When asked for the common denominator on Young’s great day, Canales shook his head and began listing virtues: “chemistry,” he said once; “timing,” another. The offense, Canales intuited, is Young’s.
“We give them a base rule and a starting point, but it’s what Bryce sees,” Canales said. “It’s the leverage he wants, whether he wants the guy to come back to him or come right back down his stem or uncover outside. All the little nuances, that part takes time. And it requires that kind of communication.”
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young gives a big smile to teammates during the second day of minicamp in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Play of the day: Tre’Von Moehrig picks off Bryce Young
This is not to say the offense outclassed the defense Wednesday. The defense, in fact, made the first big splash in 11-on-11 work — and did so thanks to a newly acquired defensive back.
The play in question:
Young set up in the shotgun and fired a quick pass to Hunter Renfrow, who was running a shallow cross as an offensive tackle released his blocking assignment with the intent to block for Renfrow. It was a simple slip screen action, if you will — the same action that sprung Renfrow free for a big gain the day before.
This time, though, when Young fired the ball, safety Tre’Von Moehrig was there and plucked the pass out of the air and started running the opposite direction, unencumbered. Moehrig, you’ll remember, is the tone-setting, hard-hitting safety the Panthers invested in this past offseason after a standout year with the Las Vegas Raiders. He spent most of his time near the line of scrimmage Wednesday, as he purportedly enjoys doing, and was breaking up plays everywhere.
But on this interception, he showed his versatility to the rest of his team.
Not that his teammates — nor his head coach — needed any reminders.
“He gives us the opportunity to really do a lot of things,” Canales said of Moehrig. “We can blitz him. We can play him in the back half. We can play him at linebacker. We can play him at nickel.”
On the INT: “You just saw that play. He read it, saw it early, came and made a great play on a middle screen. And these are the types of plays we’re hoping for out of him. The more comfortable he gets, the more we can use him at different spots.”
Panthers safety Tre’von Moerhig runs with the ball during the second day of minicamp in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Injury updates
A team spokesperson confirmed that Thielen and cornerback Jaycee Horn took rest days, a perk of being a veteran. Neither were “injured,” however. McMillan, as aforementioned, was sidelined with a minor lower body injury.
The only other injury news was status quo from Tuesday: OLB Amare Barno was out (knee); WRs Jimmy Horn Jr. (minor lower-body injury) and Brycen Tremayne were out; TE Tommy Tremble did not attend practice as he continues to recover from back surgery; OLB DJ Wonnum and DL Derrick Brown took part in individual drills.
Quick hits
▪ Princely Umanmielen told reporters after the workout that he’s happy to be out on the field — his first “live football” since January, which is coming against the most talented tackles he’s played in his football career to boot. Umanmielen also gave the backstory of his draft phone call with the Panthers’ brass, when he asked, with a smile, “What took y’all so long, man?” and “I’m gonna break y’all’s pockets in a few years.”
“Nothing to the Carolina Panthers, I just felt like I was a first round talent in my opinion,” Umanmielen said, smiling Wednesday. “So I was a little hot that I was sitting to the third round, so now it’s about proving myself right in the future.”
▪ Matthew Wright, a kicker the Panthers signed after they agreed to part ways with Eddy Piñeiro this offseason, took field goals Wednesday. He went 3-for-5; he appeared to hit from 32, 37 and 42 — and missed from 47 and 53. A reminder: Because this is practice, the team uses more-narrow practice posts, which eyeballs to look about half of the usual width of regulation goalposts. Tuesday, Ryan Fitzgerald went 5-for-5 from similar distances.
▪ Former Panthers cornerback great Josh Norman visited the minicamp session Wednesday, just as other former Panthers in Thomas Davis and Tre Boston did Tuesday. Norman signed autographs afterward, too.
▪ Make sure to follow Panthers beat writers Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) and Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05) on X throughout the summer for the latest updates from minicamp and training camp.