4 critical observations from Carolina Panthers 2023 training camp Day 6 - Fan Fest
By Dean Jones
What were some critical observations from the sixth official day of Carolina Panthers training camp practice, which also happened to be Fan Fest?
Anticipation and energy enveloped Bank of America Stadium as the Carolina Panthers took to the controversial home turf for Fan Fest. Almost 40,000 tickets had been distributed for the occasion according to team reporter Darin Gantt, which is the largest in many years and comes on the back of one of the brightest offseasons in franchise history.
Those in attendance got the chance to see their new heroes practicing in pads, which is unusual for this event. All eyes were on quarterback Bryce Young as the new face of the organization, but others also came to the fore throughout another fascinating session from the outside looking in.
On this topic, here are four critical observations from Carolina's sixth official training camp practice at Fan Fest 2023.
Carolina Panthers got C.J. Henderson back
After missing a few practices through injury, the Carolina Panthers got a welcome boost when cornerback C.J. Henderson returned for Fan Fest. Considering undrafted free-agent Rejzohn Wright is also sitting out, this gave Ejiro Evero's defense another body and allowed the players to resume a promising preparation period so far.
The Panthers took their time with Henderson to avoid any further complications. Looking at the current state of affairs within the cornerback room, the team can ill afford any of their top-four options going down for a lengthy period.
Henderson has a different mindset about him these days and is responding well to superior coaching. Hopefully, he can put a consistent run of practices together and also shine when preseason reps come his way heading into the 2023 campaign.