Four Main Takeaways from Panthers' 2026 Fan Fest

The Carolina Panthers held their annual Fan Fest event on Friday night at Bank of America Stadium. It was a nice change of pace after a trying week of training camp that saw multiple serious injuries.

Fan Fest is always entertaining, and it's the first chance for the fans to return to the stadium and see the team up close. Those fans were treated to a scrimmage, as well as a fireworks show afterward.

It was a more lighthearted event than a typical practice, but some good information was still learned. Today, let's go over our main takeaways from the annual event.

Good Vibes and Optimism All Around

The team distributed just under 48,000 tickets for the event, which is very impressive for a preseason event. Head coach Dave Canales took notice of the great attendance and couldn't have been happier to see such a crowd.

"What a fun night," Canales said. "I'm just again just blown away by how many people showed up today and the energy that it added to the whole thing and I'm trying to throw a good practice and make sure we get reps and do all those things, but we can't help get caught up in the moment, as guys are making plays and flying around and they get that response from the crowd."

It just goes to show that if you win, they will come. The Panthers are defending division champions, and the Carolina community is supporting them in a big way.

Depth Receivers Stepping Up

Chris Brazzell II is gone for the year, so the Panthers are counting on some other players to step up. On Friday night, under the lights, several receivers showed they're capable of doing so.

John Metchie III beat Chau Smith-Wade down the sideline and caught a deep pass from Kenny Pickett. On another drive, Haynes King found fellow receiver Casey Washington on a deep crosser. Xavier Legette also made a couple of catches as he tries to secure the WR3 job.

Jimmy Horn Jr. is another guy firmly on the roster bubble who is trying to help his case. Horn worked as the punt returner on Friday, and if he can excel there, it will only help his chances. After practice, Canales specifically shouted out Brycen Tremayne, David Moore, and Ja'seem Reed, showing just how deep the room is.

Young Edge Rushers Making Plays

The loss of Nic Scourton is going to be huge; there's no getting around that. Princely Umanmielen is one of the guys who has a huge opportunity in Scourton's absence.

On Friday night, Umanmielen responded. The second-year defender was in the backfield constantly. Umanmielen blew up several run plays and had a few more would-be sacks. Umanmielen also forced Rasheed Walker to hold twice.

The defender looked explosive, and if he keeps this momentum going, he can be a disruptive force in 2026. Cam Gill, who starred in the UFL recently, had two sacks on the night as well, as he tries to earn a depth spot.

Ryan Fitzgerald Looking Better and Better

Ryan Fitzgerald won the kicking job last offseason and played in all 17 games as a rookie. Fitzgerald was fine, but not spectacular. The kicker mostly struggled on deep kicks, going just 2-of-5 on 50-plus yarders.

Well, on Friday night, distance wasn't a problem for Fitzgerald. The kicker made both of his attempts from over 50, which is a great sign for the future. If Fitzgerald is that much better with long attempts and just as consistent with short attempts, the Panthers could have themselves a long-term kicker.