5 key observations from Carolina Panthers Fan Fest 2021

A cautious approach to new Carolina Panthers surface

One of the biggest things everyone wanted to see at Carolina Panthers Fan Fest was the new FieldTurf surface implemented this offseason. The organization – team owner David Tepper mainly – decided to switch from turf to artificial ahead of the new campaign.

This has a lot to do with Charlotte FC also using the site for games. But there was a cautious approach from Panthers players that were getting to try it out for the first time on Friday evening.

Christian McCaffrey was perhaps more apprehensive than most considering the injury problems he suffered in 2020. However, the All-Pro running back gave the new surface his seal of approval once Fan Fest came to a conclusion.

"“It was good, I liked it. It was very new so a lot of us were cautious out there, but I liked it.”"

Another player suitably impressed with the field was Jeremy Chinn.

Big things are expected from the do-it-all defender in Year 2 of his professional career and he thinks the faster surface could make all the difference to a dynamic roster with a lot of explosiveness.

Only time will tell as to whether the Panthers can adjust quickly enough to hit the ground running Week 1 against the New York Jets. But it’s another intriguing element to a season that is finely poised at this juncture.