Panthers 2021 training camp: 8 notes from Saturday night practice

From the draft to around-the-clock NFL Network coverage, the football season is already a year-round phenomenon. This year the league expanded on that, initiating Back Together Saturday, 13 hours worth of live training camp footage covering every team and broadcasted nationwide.

The Panthers’ part took place last night at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina and we had a chance to watch some of the team’s stars work through drills in person. Here are eight observations from the practice.

Panthers fans showed out

After dismal attendance at the first few training camp practices, Carolina fans showed up in huge numbers for the Saturday night event.

Jaycee Horn is a press coverage monster

The No. 8 overall pick lined up at the line of scrimmage on multiple plays last night and disrupted plenty of routes. He had a notable PBU on Marken Michel, which drew a big reaction from the crowd. Donte Jackson also had a couple of notable PBUs against Robby Anderson and Terrace Marshall.

Multiple options at kick returner

The Panthers had three players primarily fielding kickoff returns Saturday: rookie running back Chuba Hubbard, wide receiver David Moore, and RB/WR Trenton Cannon. While Moore and Cannon saw most of the reps, all three fielded every kickoff without a muff.

Sam Darnold digs the middle of the field

The overwhelming majority of Darnold’s success in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills came in quick 10-yard passes over the middle, where he hit D.J. Moore, Terrace Marshall and Christian McCaffrey for first-down dimes on multiple plays. 2020 training camp star Omar Bayless also made a slightly deeper catch over the middle.

Robby Anderson made the play of the night

Perhaps the most-spectacular moment of last night’s practice, Robby Anderson made a spectacular one-handed grab over safety Sean Chandler on a perfect pass from Will Grier.

Chuba Hubbard is an explosive runner

Even though players were not supposed to tackle last night, Hubbard showed amazing burst speed in team drills. Alongside his explosiveness out of the backfield, Hubbard also showed promise as a kick returner.

Coach Matt Rhule unhappy with overaggressiveness

Not even halfway through practice, coach Matt Rhule had to call the players in for a huddle and looked heated. In his post-practice press conference we learned that Rhule was upset about the over-aggressiveness, including some unsanctioned tackling.

Shaq Thompson left practice early

Later in practice, Shaq Thompson walked off the field with a trainer, which Rhule later clarified was just to deal with some tightness in his lower body. Still, Thompson didn’t return to the field and Denzel Perryman wound up taking over at his position and getting extra reps.

Bonus: Some players worked overtime

Tommy Tremble dropped a pass during team drills, so it was nice to see him working at least 30 minutes after practice with a trainer. Taylor Moton and Trent Scott took advantage of the new league rules and stayed behind with their families on the field. Wide receiver C.J. Saunders and cornerback Keith Taylor also stayed late working on some drills.

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