6 Players to Watch in Carolina Panthers' Next Preseason Matchup

The Carolina Panthers, by and large, did not put much good tape on film over the weekend in Buffalo. That's the bad news. The good news is that there's another preseason game to work out the kinks this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are the key players to watch.

QB Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws the ball with Buffalo Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau (15) in pursuit | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All eyes are going to be on Bryce Young this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, fairly or unfairly. The Panthers need a better showing on offense, and, for better or worse, that often rests on the shoulders of the quarterback.

Young certainly needs help. His receivers need to actually get open, and the offensive line needs to actually protect him. Regardless, he needs to play better so there can be any sort of confidence in him this season after what's been a wonderful camp.

RB Jonathon Brooks

Jonathon Brooks knocked the rust off with an uninspiring first preseason game, his first NFL action in almost two years. The running back survived and made it to the next week healthy, which is a huge win, but now he's got to produce.

The Panthers are expecting Chuba Hubbard back by Week 1, but the preseason will likely belong to Brooks. It'll be his chance to prove he's worth more usage and that he deserves to take over as RB1, and after a middling performance in the "opener," it's time to step it up.

Gs Chandler Zavala, Brady Christensen

We know how good Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis are, if by no other means than having to watch the Panthers' offense attempt to function without them in Buffalo. It was ugly, and their absences were perhaps the biggest reason why.

We don't want to expect injuries, but they happen, so the Panthers have to find competent backups for Hunt and Lewis. Brady Christensen and Chandler Zavala have not been good at that so far, and this week's contest will be yet another chance for one of them to step up.

CB Mike Jackson

We've seen what Mike Jackson can do when he's at his best, but he was far from his best on Saturday against the Bills. He was in coverage when open receivers made plays frequently against the Bills' first-team offense.

The zone coverage scheme didn't seem to do him any favors, but that's been the scheme since he got here and will continue to be the scheme, so he's going to have to adjust and get back to his excellent 2025 form.

EDGE Jaelan Phillips

Carolina Panthers linebacker Jaelan Phillips (5) warms up during training camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this case, we're just watching Jaelan Phillips because he's that good. This time, it's about watching a player to see if he can repeat his success, not bounce back from an ugly outing. In very limited action, Phillips was excellent.

Phillips had a sack (in the red zone, too) and a pressure in nine total snaps. That is exactly what Carolina had hoped to see when Phillips signed that four-year, $120 million contract, so hopefully, he can keep it rolling this week.

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