The scoreboard told an all-too-familiar story for the Carolina Panthers. It was another lopsided loss that brought their momentum to an end as quickly as it arrived.
The defense that pitched a shutout a week ago had no answers for second-year quarterback Drake Maye, and special teams surrendered a back-breaking punt return touchdown. By the end, the Panthers appeared to be a team searching for an identity in every phase.
Yet, amid all the breakdowns, one area of Carolina’s roster quietly offered a reason for optimism: the youth movement in the passing game.
Carolina Panthers' young pass-catchers became a rare bright spot in Week 4
Rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan once again led the Panthers in receiving, catching four passes for 62 yards. It marked his fourth straight week as the team’s top target, and it kept him just four yards behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka for the rookie receiving lead.
McMillan’s reliability (278 yards through four games) is quickly turning him into a trusted option for Bryce Young. There are still some timing issues to address, and the concentration problems occasionally need rectification, but there has been far more good than bad so far.
He wasn’t the only fresh face producing.
Mitchell Evans scored his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter. The rookie tight end also notched a career-long 16-yard grab earlier in the game, finishing with three catches for 23 receiving yards. Alongside him, Tommy Tremble put together his best performance of the year, accumulating five catches for 42 yards and his first score of 2025.
The emergence of those young pass catchers feels all the more critical with Carolina’s depth being tested. Veteran receiver David Moore went down on the opening play, forcing practice squad call-up Brycen Tremayne into a career high 56 snaps. Injuries thinned out the rotation, but instead of folding, the next wave delivered.
That doesn’t erase the concerns elsewhere. The defense managed just its second sack of the season, being gouged on the ground and in coverage. Special teams gave up historic punt return numbers to Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones. Carolina’s run game was once again weak, with Chuba Hubbard’s 49 rushing yards the high mark.
It was rough, but it also reminded fans of the one thing this team can build on. That, of course, is its young playmakers.
In a season already defined by more lows than highs, their emergence stands out as the most precise bright spot. Yes, the year may not be unfolding the way Carolina hoped, but the foundation for the future is beginning to take shape.