South Charlotte Today

CHARLOTTE—When Austin Corbett was rehabbing from back-to-back knee injuries in 2023, spending months on the sideline and not knowing when he'd be back with his team, the offensive lineman had ample time on his hands.

There were still meetings to attend and practices to observe, but during the in-between time, when ambulatory limitations kept him from participating, Corbett could have easily just twiddled his thumbs. Instead, the seven-year veteran gravitated towards his rookie quarterback. The two started watching the game together, discussing protections and preferences for various situations.

At that time, Corbett was a guard on the offensive line. His view of the game is slightly different this season, by about 18 inches, as he's been moved to center this year. However, those conversations last fall paid dividends in multiple ways; namely, teaching Corbett and Bryce Young how to communicate effectively.

"On the fortunate unfortunate side of last year, I had a lot of time just to be able to sit back and talk with Bryce on the side," Corbett said. "And so, we're kind of building that bond from the get-go last year."

Added Young, "We were having conversations about how he sees things, what it is that he feels is this way. And it was all productive, obviously last year, just us being on the same page."

Corbett took his rehab time as an opportunity to step back and look at the offense from a wide lens. The scheme has changed with the hiring of Dave Canales and staff, but insights learned about Young have carried over. Now each of those conversations—the time in the film room and tweaks to calls—are even more important with Corbett playing center.

"He's as much a part of the offense running smoothly as Bryce," Canales said. "As they go up there, they make their calls; they get everything started on a good foot and then just the timing in which we do it and how we communicate it. I'm really excited about just the way that he's able to recognize things quickly."

As center, Corbett is largely responsible for ensuring that other offensive linemen are in position, setting protection for Young, and informing him if anything shifts defensively upfront requiring a response from Carolina's line. It's a vocal position suited to Corbett's skill set: willingness to take charge, institutional knowledge of division opponents, and now his connection with Bryce Young.

"Now just to be able to pick it up and just be right alongside him this time where it's easy; you know it's not this big transition," Corbett said. "We built that already last year."

"We kind of both know how each other thinks about things," echoed Young. "Obviously with him making a lot of calls and us talking through pass game [and] run game—all that stuff—we kind of already have that rapport."

The Panthers added two new guards in free agency—Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis—meaning along with a new offensive staff and playbook; Bryce Young was destined to spend this offseason becoming comfortable with a new interior line as well. But by moving Austin Corbett to center, Young has also been given a steadying force—a familiar voice—and an extension of himself upfront.

"It's grown over the last couple of weeks [and] OTAs but it started back last year just based off really how studious [and] how much of a student of the game he is," Young said regarding his center. "So that credit goes to him [and] I'm glad we have that rapport."