To say that the Panthers are running on a bad streak doesn’t quite do it justice. Their 2-15 NFL-worst record from 2023 did a little better last season. Under the new management of Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan, last season gave them a 5-12 record. But this is miles away from the legendary performances that the team pulled under Cam Newton. As this realization hits, the team is done making excuses and falling short. The Panthers are all set to bring back their 2015 glory, and veteran WR Adam Thielen is watching similar signs unfold in the minicamps now.
With Cam Newton leading under center, 2015 became the only year in which he marked a 15-1 season. And this record didn’t come just like that. The team constantly pushed each other towards greatness. During the minicamps, Cam Newton even had a major fight with Josh Norman. As Norman recalled that day years later, he said, “We gon’ get at each other, but that’s gonna make us better. That’s gonna make us compete. That’s gonna make us worthy of the chance of actually fighting for a championship.” Now, a decade after the fact, similar moments are cropping up for the Panthers. Is this a return of the Cam Newton era? With QB Bryce Young and CB Jaycee Horn trash-talking each other through the minicamps, it does look like it’s 2015 all over again.
Speaking at the minicamp presser on Tuesday, Adam Thielen talked about the ‘jawing’ between their QB and CB. It wasn’t a negative thing, for sure. If anything, for Thielen, it showed a lot of promise. As Thielen put it, “I think it just talks about our team. We’re a bunch of guys that want it. And I think guys are finally sick of being the same old, same old Carolina Panthers. I think we want to get back to what they did here in the past, 2015 and some of those other years when they had deep playoff runs and had the crowd involved and the city hyped up.” So a little infighting is only going to lead to greater plays being made when the regular season hits. And Bryce Young seems to be channeling that Cam Newton energy in Carolina again. That drive is translating well throughout the roster.
‘’Guys are finally sick of being the same old Carolina Panthers.’’This from wide receiver Adam Thielen explaining the jawing between QB Bryce Young and CB Jaycee Horn today in practice. pic.twitter.com/666jRg1Dnb
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) June 10, 2025
The management is really happy with the way Bryce Young’s new season is shaping up. And Adam Thielen believes the team is going forward with that singular mission to bring back the old days of Panthers hype. He further added, “We haven’t had that. And I think that just shows that guys are kind of sick and tired of the same old, same old. And everything that this organization has done this offseason has pushed us towards that and excited about that.” But as the team gears up for the new season in Bryce Young’s Newton era, there’s a crucial piece missing from the roster in the minicamps. And the HC has shared an update about that.
Dave Canales’ injury update for Amaré Barno
Let’s take you back to the 2023 season for a bit. Late in the season, Amaré Barno buckled with a torn ACL injury that sidelined him. Cut to last season, and he sat on the injury reserve all the way through November end. Once he came back, there were only 5 games for him to start. Now, back in May this year, things looked very promising for Barno. HC Dave Canales had even said, “He’s on the field doing some straight-line running stuff today. He’s been here every day working with our athletic training staff just to build the strength around it, his flexibility. The reports we’re getting are great, so he’s trending in the right direction.” But now, there’s another injury update for Barno that looks a little more promising.
Talking to the press, Dave Canales informed that Amaré Barno has had yet another procedure done on the same knee he injured back in 2023. This was the reason why Barno missed the practice. As Canales put it, “Just rehabbing, he has a little clean-out procedure with his knee, and he feels so much better already… That was something we talked to him about. They looked at it, and they said, ‘hey, we can help you here with this,’ and so I’m excited to get him back out there 100 percent.” With this update, things are looking even better for the Panthers, as their linebacker is all set to join them soon.
With all pieces soon to be back in action, the Panthers are gunning for a playoff run, and the Lombardi after that. And there’s also the added spice of QBs and CBs egging lighting fire under each other on. Is Adam Thielen’s vision for the team all set to come true this season?
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