After the starting offense exited early, the Carolina Panthers took a closer look at their rookie class during their preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns. The game ended with a 30-10 loss for the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan made his preseason debut at home, recording two catches for 43 yards. His performance included a 30-yard reception from quarterback Bryce Young that set up an early touchdown for the Panthers.
Second-round pick Nic Scourton, playing outside linebacker, contributed with two tackles for loss and a sack in the first half. Undrafted rookie cornerback Corey Thornton started in place of Jaycee Horn, who missed the game following a traffic accident earlier in the week. Thornton led the team with three tackles in the first half, added a tackle for loss, and defended a pass. One highlight was when he tackled Browns receiver Kaden Davis during an attempted hurdle.
Rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald made a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter as he competes with veteran Matthew Wright for the kicking job.
On the Browns side, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders had a strong debut. He led three touchdown drives and finished 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns, earning a passer rating of 106.8.
The Panthers played without key defensive players Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown.
Veteran backup quarterback Andy Dalton entered after Bryce Young and played into the third quarter. Dalton completed 13-of-19 passes for 101 yards but threw an interception to Browns safety Nik Needham in the third quarter. Jack Plummer replaced Dalton later in the game and went 6-of-10 for 79 yards.
Special teams faced challenges throughout the night. Fourth-round running back Trevor Etienne muffed a punt after colliding with teammate Nick Scott; this turnover led to a Browns touchdown pass from Sanders just two plays later. The Panthers are evaluating several candidates for return duties due to offseason changes on special teams. They also committed multiple penalties on kickoff coverage and allowed a significant punt return to start the second half.
“We’re looking to clean up those mistakes,” head coach Dave Canales said after the game.
