CHARLOTTE — Mike White doesn't know what day it is, the names of all his teammates, the terminology used throughout the Panthers' playbook, or even where he should eat after leaving the facility—not that he's done much of that this week.

He does know he can walk to the Panthers' facility from the hotel where he's been staying the past couple of days, that Andy Dalton and Bryce Young are incredibly helpful in helping him go through a crash course in the Carolina offense, and that in less than 24 hours, he'll finally be able to take his first full breath of the week.

"First day is first and second down install. Today's (Thursday) third down," counted off White, leaning up against a cabinet in the Panthers' locker room on Thursday, recapping the marathon that has been his week.

"Tomorrow will be red zone, and that's when you can kind of take a breath."

White, who has been with six teams since first being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys back in 2018, had his phone ring Monday morning. It was his agent telling him to get to Charlotte for a workout.

Dave Canales told reporters on Monday that the Panthers would explore the market to add a fourth quarterback following Bryce Young's ankle injury Sunday in the win against the Jets. Canales admitted on Wednesday that it is also helpful White spent the entirety of last season with the Bills, bringing some knowledge of their system before Sunday's Week 8 matchup.

After White's workout, he was signed to the practice squad. The following two days were all about finding connections between his former teams and the Panthers' playbook.

"I'm lucky enough to have been in a ton of systems, and you kind of get used to it the more you play in the league, especially as a backup, you're going to be on multiple different teams, so you just learn to roll with the punches and just kind of figure it out," explained White.

He's been splitting snaps in practice the last two days with Dalton, who is taking the first team reps with Young rehabbing, and Hendon Hooker Hooker, the other practice squad passer who has moved up to second team reps for the week.

"(Quarterbacks coach) Will Harriger and Andy, Bryce, Hendon, you know, I'm not too far behind Hendon, but he's been helping me as well," said White. "So anytime you get in a quarterback room, it's always for the most part pretty tight-knit and guys help each other, so they've been awesome with it and they've been helping me every step of the way.

"Any time you're in the same room as a 15 year vet, it's cool no matter where they've been, how much success they've had or haven't had, whether they've been a starter the whole time, just a career backup, whatever it is, you spent 15 years in this league, you were doing something right," White said of learning from Dalton.

"Just the way he approaches things and in protection, he doesn't try to do too much. He just does enough to let himself go out there and just play ball and react, and he's been playing this game for so long, that's when you're at your best when you can just go out and react and just take care of the ball and spit it out."

That help has also extended to Hooker, who has seen his role grow exponentially this week and could see it grow even more on game day, depending on Young's rehab progression and game status.

The former Lions quarterback has spent this season as the PS guy for Carolina. That is a position that doesn't always travel, but the Panthers are one of the teams that do bring P-squad guys on away trips, such as Hooker. It's helped him establish a game-day routine should he be activated for a Sunday, as well as pick Dalton's brain in real time.

"Being around a lot of vets in my career, he's definitely been a guy that I've leaned on for just process of this offense and what he sees on and off the field," Hooker shared Thursday. "We're on the sideline during the games, I'm asking him questions of what he sees, what he thought of the play, you know what would he have done if he was in, sometimes. It's cool just to have a vet in there that has experienced every part of this game.

"We might just be still talking about a play from the last series or from four series ago, just a question I might just have randomly about a play and little nuances within the play…(it's) very helpful, very helpful, and I get to start my game day routine, for whenever my time is called I'll be ready, and I already have a routine down.

"So to be able to travel with the team and just bring that energy on the sideline, I mean, that's my job. I bring energy on the sideline and be a great teammate. So it's a blessing."

This sort of input could pay dividends for Hooker, White, and the Panthers on Sunday. As the club continues to evaluate Young's status, those two passers are running more drills in practice. If Young can't go on Sunday, one of them will be up with Dalton to serve as a backup. Teams are also allowed to employ a third emergency quarterback on game days, although the Panthers haven't taken advantage of that rule before.

In preparation, Hooker has also been spending time after practice with receivers, who are staying behind to give him a few more reps.

"I prepare the same way, each week, and try to get in and watch them when I can, and I mean, get those repetitions, those mental repetitions, after practice with the guys that are staying after and then running routes for me," shared Hooker. "So, really, you know, without them it'd be tough. I'd be throwing on air, but you know those guys keep me going as well."

Regardless of who is dressed out on the sidelines Sunday, and who is taking starting snaps or keeping warm as a backup, Hendon Hooker and Mike White are taking advantage of every hour, every minute, every second, to do their part to prepare this week.

"It's great, you know, being surrounded by like-minded guys as Andy and Will, Berko (assistant QBs coach Mike Bercovici), and Bryce," said Hooker. "It's very uplifting, very joyful in the room, and everyone's just trying to help each other."