Carolina Panthers make big change to preseason plans for 2025

The Panthers won't make the same mistake twice.

Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Last year, the Carolina Panthers opted to prioritize health and safety during the preseason. Starters, including Bryce Young, played sparingly. That proved to be disastrous for Dave Canales' first year. With a new offense and a new coaching staff, the players evidently needed more time to get comfortable, especially Young.

This year, the Panthers reportedly won't make that mistake again. Even though they're all now much more familiar with Canales and his system, the team is planning to play starters a little more during preseason in 2025.

Per Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer, the team is planning to play all starters more in the preseason. This is a leaguewide issue, as teams are constantly trying to find the fine line between getting players ready for the season without putting them at risk of being hurt. There have been countless season-ending injuries from preseason games.

The Panthers have experienced this themselves. Cam Newton suffered a Lisfranc injury during the preseason in 2019. He returned but was clearly hobbled for a couple of games in the early regular season before eventually being shut down for the year. That ended up being the last games he played before being cut.

If the Panthers were to lose Bryce Young or Jaycee Horn to injury in the preseason, their season would suffer a huge blow before it even began. But especially on offense, that time is valuable to get into the flow of an NFL season and get into form.

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