4 Biggest Carolina Panthers Preseason Questions That Still Need Answers

The Carolina Panthers have two preseason games, thanks to the Hall of Fame Game, under their belt. They've gotten several answers to crucial questions about their identity. Unfortunately, a few more still linger over the team.

Who's going to start at linebacker?

#Panthers Dave Canales says the LB2 competition between Claudin Cherelus and Trevin Wallace is still “neck and neck” after reviewing Saturday’s tape.

He says he wants the player beside Devin Lloyd to reflect a similar play style which will be the determining factor and that…
— Gabe McDonald (@GabeMcDonald_) August 17, 2026

Weeks ago, Dave Canales revealed that the LB2 spot was up for grabs between Claudin Cherilus and Trevin Wallace. This was shocking, since Wallace was expected to have that spot with ease. His struggles forced a camp competition.

Now, Canales is saying it's "neck and neck." Wallace was first on the unofficial depth chart, but that doesn't mean a ton. So, the question still remains: who is going to be Devin Lloyd's running mate? Their job should be easy enough, but the Panthers still need a quality player there.

How fast can Darren Waller get up to speed?

Darren Waller officially signed on Monday, and he said the playbook was "Greek" to him. With two remaining preseason games and very little time before the Panthers have to cut their roster down to 53, the clock is ticking for him.

The Panthers signed him with the hopes that he'd invigorate their TE room and provide an actual weapon. But if he can't get ready in time, can they really sacrifice a roster spot for a tight end who doesn't know the offense yet? There just aren't that many spots to go around to some very deserving players.

What can this offense really do?

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

We totally understand not unveiling everything in preseason. Keeping an extremely vanilla playbook for these meaningless games is smart. That said, we still have no clue what a Brad Idzik-Bryce Young offense can really look like. We've seen nine abysmal plays without any protection up front so far.

The Panthers need to get Young familiar and confident in this new system in game action before it's too late. There's still plenty of time, but this is a major lingering question that threatens to derail the season before it's even kicked off.

What will the running game look like?

The Panthers have a different stable of running backs this year with Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks as opposed to Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. This should, along with a new play-caller, change the way the running game operates.

Unfortunately, this won't really get answered in preseason. Chuba Hubbard is unlikely to play, and Brooks will probably be used very sparingly given his dubious health history. Still, it needs to be answered at some point.

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