Following a competitive joint practice Thursday in the Houston heat, the Panthers and Texans moved their matchup inside to NRG Stadium Saturday for a 20-3 preseason loss for Carolina.
And while the game’s results won’t matter much for the upcoming season, quarterback Bryce Young’s short afternoon workload (just two unsuccessful series) offered a puzzling entry in what has been an otherwise strong summer for the third-year passer. Young was yanked from the game after just two throws, and he didn’t complete either pass.
Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with an official during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Troy Taormina USA TODAY NETWORK
In fairness to Young, he put a perfect ball on tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders on third down during the first series, but the pass ricocheted off Sanders’ hands for an incompletion. Sanders was wide open and would have picked up a first down with the potential target. Instead, the ball fell to the ground and squandered the first-team offense’s only legitimate chance for an extended drive.
While Young and Sanders weren’t able to will the first-team offense to success, there were a few still some standouts in the exhibition slate. There were also some players who will look back at the game tape and roll their eyes at their miscues during the preseason road matchup.
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OLB Princely Umanmielen
With second-round pick Nic Scourton sidelined for the game, third-round pick Princely Umanmielen got plenty of run at outside linebacker. The long, lanky edge-setter forced a pressure early in the game to get Texans QB Davis Mills to throw an off-the-mark target down the field. He also made a trio of impressive run stops, taking terrific angles to the ball in the second half.
He got close to securing a couple of sacks in the third quarter but instead forced the QB to escape the pocket. Umanmielen has good instincts, and his moments as a run defender were encouraging.
RB Trevor Etienne
The fourth-round pick got the bulk of the return looks in the first half. He also had a trio of nice runs in the second quarter.
Etienne and Rico Dowdle feel like the likely kick returners for Week 1, and the rookie was able to handle his punt return duties just fine on Saturday. The Panthers’ front office and coaching staff are high on Etienne, and he didn’t show any reason for concern in his second preseason game. In fact, one could argue his ability to play a utility role on offense and special teams makes him quite valuable as the cutdown deadline looms.
Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne (23) is tackled by Houston Texans linebacker Jake Hansen (35) in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Thomas Shea USA TODAY NETWORK
Etienne finished with seven carries for 18 yards and a catch for 7 yards against the Texans, but those numbers need some context. Etienne had a pair of huge gains called back due to holding penalties by the offensive line. Both infractions arguably had little-to-no impact on the big runs, but they didn’t count in the end.
G/C Jarrett Kingston
Kingston, who was claimed off waivers following the cutdown deadline last year, lined up with the second-team offense at center. Kingston had mostly played guard for the Panthers last year and this summer, but with Cade Mays working as a first- and second-team guard, Kingston was able to get valuable reps as a snapper. Kingston made an immediate impact on a pair of runs by Etienne and then made a heads-up play by jumping on a fumble by wideout David Moore in the second quarter.
Kingston looked the part, despite playing his first notable game snaps as a center. With the Panthers likely weighing the benefits of keeping nine or 10 linemen on their 53-man roster, Kingston put himself in the conversation to be a keeper because of his versatility. He’s competing with the likes of Ja’Tyre Carter and Brandon Walton to stick around.
K Ryan Fitzgerald
The rookie specialist made a 52-yard field goal attempt during the second quarter. Through most of the summer, Matthew Wright has seemingly outpaced Fitzgerald by a small margin. But Fitzgerald being able to handle a deep kick in the middle of preseason should do him some good.
Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott (21) celebrates Carolina Panthers place kicker Ryan Fitzgerald (35) fifty two yard field goal in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Thomas Shea USA TODAY NETWORK
The undrafted rookie is known for his big leg and accuracy, so hopefully, for his sake, he can continue to make the most of his deep opportunities.
LB Krys Barnes
Barnes was brought in midway through training camp after veteran depth. He had a nice practice on Thursday and followed that up with a solid afternoon on Friday. He had a near-interception in the second quarter and then made a couple of nice plays on the first series of the second half. With Christian Rozeboom having a bit of an underwhelming summer, Barnes, who has been in the league for five years, is a nice little insurance policy.
Barnes isn’t an ideal starter, but he has plenty of experience in an Ejiro Evero-like 3-4 defense. He should be on the final roster, even if that comes at the cost of a special teamer like Jon Rhattigan.
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First-team offense
Yikes! The group came out flat and it was apparent on the first drive. Young tried to take advantage of a free play on a holding penalty by the Houston defense and airmailed an interception that didn’t count. From there, Young tossed an accurate ball to Sanders for a would-be first down and it was dropped by the second-year tight end, who has put together an otherwise excellent camp.
Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) breaks up the pass intended for Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (0) in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Thomas Shea USA TODAY NETWORK
Later, Young was sacked deep in his own territory for a big loss on third down of the second offensive series. He never returned to the field, as he was pulled for Andy Dalton, who quickly left due to an injured right elbow.
The Panthers probably need to play their starters next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers if they were hoping playing time in preseason games would lead to enhanced chemistry. Outside of the one touchdown drive against the Cleveland Browns last week, there’s been more “meh” or bad than good.
CB Shemar Bartholomew
Starting in place of Jaycee Horn — instead of camp star Corey Thornton — Bartholomew got very lucky on an early deep shot from Stroud to wideout Nico Collins during Houston’s opening drive. Collins blew past Bartholomew in coverage and would have had a massive gain if Stroud had been on the mark with his deep heave.
Bartholomew gave up a pair of catches during the first two series, including a 5-yard touchdown catch by Collins on fourth-and-goal. The Panthers were giving Bartholomew an opportunity to show he can play on defense, and he didn’t give them much hope to begin the game.
Bartholomew also gave up a 13-yard first-down completion to wideout Justin Watson on the third drive of the game.
Competing with Thornton and Akayleb Evans to be the first cornerback off the bench, the race seems to be in Thornton’s favor — despite a couple of rough moments of his own against Houston — through two weeks of the preseason.
QB Jack Plummer
Plummer came into the game for Dalton after Dalton suffered a right elbow injury in the first half. He got off to an excellent start, completing eight of his first nine throws. Unfortunately, his 10th target turned into a turnover, as he was picked off by Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith.
He was picked off again on the very next drive by cornerback Damon Arnette on a target to rookie wideout Jacolby George. It was tough scene for the second-year QB.
Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer (16) calls a play against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Thomas Shea USA TODAY NETWORK
Plummer is trying to force the Panthers to keep three QBs on their 53-man roster. Unless Dalton is truly hurt, Plummer’s second-half production probably didn’t entice the squad all that much. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions for a 46.4 passer rating.
K Matthew Wright
While Fitzgerald nailed a 52-yard attempt, Wright failed to make a 55-yard try that fell short of the uprights in the fourth quarter. Wright has been a better practice player than Fitzgerald, but the spotlight is on both in the preseason as the competition comes down to the wire.
A pair of 50-yard attempts won’t settle this battle, but it’s an important sample of what the Panthers might be able to expect. There’s still a week left for one guy to separate himself from the other.