CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — Bryce Young once again headlines the Panthers’ captains.
Joining him in 2024 are S Sam Franklin Jr., Pro-Bowl DT Derrick Brown, and for the 5th time, LB Shaq Thompson.
Brown and Franklin have been with the team since 2020, while Thomspon will be going into his 10th(!!) season in Carolina.
Young, named a captain as a rookie in 2023, will once again lead the offensive unit as the team’s quarterback. In his first season, he threw for 2,877 and 11 touchdowns on a 59.8% completion rate.
Brown, who was the team’s only Pro Bowl selection in 2023, posted career highs in tackles (103) and quarterback hits (15).
Franklin, a quiet contributor on defense, had one of the team’s two pick-sixes in 2023. He picked off Kirk Cousins in Week 4 and returned it 99 yards for the score.
Thompson, the team’s second-longest-tenured player on the current roster behind J.J. Jansen, has played in the 20th most games in franchise history (119). In 2023 he only played two games due to a broken fibula he suffered in Week 2. If he plays all 17 games in 2024, he will be 13th all-time on that list. The veteran linebacker has the fourth-most tackles in team history behind Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, and Mike Minter.
Current players who were captains in 2023 but not in 2024 are Johnny Hekker, Adam Thielen, and Taylor Moton.
The Panthers start their 2024 season on Sunday against an NFC South rival in New Orleans against the Saints.
