CHARLOTTE — Brandt Tilis knew the questions he was going to be asked. That didn't oblige him to provide a lot of detail.
One of the first things the executive vice president of football operations was asked about Monday was the contract status of quarterback Bryce Young.
The team has already picked up the first-year option on his rookie deal, meaning he's under contract through the 2027 season, but Tilis wasn't getting into details.
"Any extensions, whether it's with Bryce or anybody else, any of those negotiations, we'll just keep those conversations internal and amongst the organization and the agent," Tilis said.
But he does like where both Young and the team are going, as evidenced by last year's division title and the continued strides Young has made. He's shown a particular knack for late-game success, and they want to continue to build on that.
A year ago, Tilis described Young as an "ascending" player, and that remains the case.
"I would say he ascended last year, and there's still room for him to ascend," Tilis replied. "His ceiling currently is unknown, and I think that's exciting for us, and he's working hard to get himself there. Because it could be, I mean, it could be, it could be here; we don't know where it is.
"The team is growing too. So, he's going to ascend as the team ascends, and vice versa. The team is going to get better as he does. So, it's all good."
Several times during the press conference, Tilis replied by saying, "It's good to have good players," which creates layers of complications for him as the team's lead negotiator.
But the fact that Young is improving and the team is getting better remains the point of this whole deal, making it easier to take a wait-and-see approach.
"The team is better, the coaches are good, and Bryce is putting in the work too," Tilis said. "So it's all there. And we'll just see how the year plays out. I think we're all really excited for what Bryce is going to show, and how the team's going to be."
For his part, head coach Dave Canales said he was "really excited" about Young's progress in this camp, his third in the current system. Even with the change in play-callers, the language and the people are largely the same, and you're seeing big plays to Tetairoa McMillan and others downfield nearly every day.
"The special plays still show up every day," Canales said. "Moving up the spot, pushing up in the pocket, layering balls, all the accuracy. But the part that I've been really impressed with this camp is just the chemistry with our receivers. The time on task with Jalen Coker, T Mac, Xavier Legette, Ja'Tavion Sanders and the tight end group who have been around for a while, and now it just seems like he's playing so much faster.
"It just seems like he's eliminating things before the snap. On his drop, he's starting to eliminate and evaluate things and throwing really anticipatory throws. I've got to think, a couple of interceptions throughout camp, like he's on the money, receivers not quite where they need to be, and these are trust throws. These are things where your whole soul's got to be behind that throw when you hit the back foot. The ball's coming out.
"That creates opportunity for conversation in the meeting rooms to say, hey, look, this is my timing on this play, and here's when the ball's got to get out. I need you there a little sooner and those types of things. And so that part, a lot of just growth in leadership in terms of talking to the players for what he wants on particular routes from the tight ends, from the wideouts in the slot, where he sees the ball going, where he sees them attacking the leverage of the players.
"So I love where he's headed, I love that he's all in. He seems to be really enjoying it, so we just keep taking it a day at a time and try to challenge ourselves that way."
The other major issue on the horizon is the status of left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who suffered a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs and will miss regular season time as he recovers. Without that injury, they'd have likely talked extension with him this offseason, but his timeline was obviously affected by the injury.
"Look, if Ickey can come back during the season, that's great," Tilis said. "You can't have enough good players on your roster, and Ickey's certainly a good player in this league. So, he's working, he's working his tail off out there, and we're excited to hopefully get him back."
Any conversations about 2027 are of course premature, but Tilis said that's where his focus usually is anyway.
"I'm already on to next year," he said. "I'm looking at next year, and I'm seeing, all right, what's the team going to look like next year? How are things going? How are we going to field the team? Who's going to be on that team, so on and so forth. I spend a lot of time on that. I'm lucky to have (director of football administration) Justin Davidov, who works with me, and he gives me a lot of good insight there.
"But that's where my mind, that's where my worried mind is."
And to that end, they're continuing to think ahead.
This roster is continuing to get better and younger at the same time, as the Panthers have just three non-specialists over 30 (31-year-olds Nick Scott, David Moore, and Taylor Moton), and Robert Hunt turning 30 later this month.
"It factors, because when we do anything with our roster, we are projecting into the future and we're making a prediction as to how this player is going to play," Tilis said. "And there's more upside, obviously with younger players, and there's more certainty that there's going to be a high level of play with a younger player.
"That doesn't mean we're only going for younger players. It just means that they end up getting all the tiebreakers."
View some of Monday's best snaps from Panthers training camp practice.
Tyrek Funderburk is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Lee Hunter is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
DeCarlos Nicholson is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Cam Jackson is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Maz Mwansa is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Trevor Etienne is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tetairoa McMillan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Cam Miller is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Sam Hecht and Isaia Glass are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tetairoa McMillan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
RB Jonathon Brooks and Cam Jackson are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
QB Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
AC Carter and OLB Jaelan Phillips are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
AC Carter and OLB Patrick Jones II are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
AC Carter and OLB Patrick Jones II are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Trevis Gipson is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Princely Umanmielen is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Patrick Jones II is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Princely Umanmielen and DeCarlos Nicholson are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Sam Martin, JJ Jansen and K Ryan Fitzgerald are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ja'seem Reed is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
DE Jared Harrison-Hunte, Stone Forsythe and Kenny Pickett are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Isaiah Smith is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
LB Maema Njongmeta is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Zakee Wheatley and TE Ja'Tavion Sanders are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Patrick Jones II is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Patrick Jones II is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
TE Ja'Tavion Sanders is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Feleipe Franks is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Feleipe Franks is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
CB Will Lee III and WR Brycen Tremayne are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Dan Morgan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tre'von Moehrig is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jaycee Horn, JD Rast, Tetairoa McMillan and Bryce Young are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
John Metchie III is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ja'seem Reed is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Casey Washington is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Brycen Tremayne is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Rendrick Taylor is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
David Moore and QB Bryce Young are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
OLB Thomas Incoom is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Lathan Ransom is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Maema Njongmeta is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jimmy Horn Jr., Jalen Coker, Casey Washington and WR Tetairoa McMillan are seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
WR Tetairoa McMillan is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
QB Bryce Young is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young is seen during during Carolina Panthers Training camp on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
