CHARLOTTE — Jaelan Phillips and Nic Scourton became fast friends this offseason.
Makes sense; they have the same job, they're both cat owners, among other shared interests.
Unfortunately, when Scourton tore his ACL on the first day of training camp, he and Phillips gained another thing in common.
But as the veteran pass-rusher saw the second-year man walk onto the practice field Tuesday (Scourton hasn't had surgery yet), he appreciated the journey and promised to share it with Scourton.
That doesn't make it any less painful, of course. But he wants Scourton to know he's not in this alone.
"Yeah, it's devastating," Phillips said. "Nic and I have gotten very close in the short period of time that I've known him. He's a guy who has an extremely high level of passion and care for this game and everything, so you hate to see that happen to anybody, but especially to someone who invests so much and loves this game so much.
"It's brutal and it's not fair, but ultimately, I've obviously experienced several season ending injuries and from coming from my experiences, I literally ran to the locker room to to talk to him because I just know he's the type of guy that is going to be able to handle this adversity and I just wanted to instill the experience and the wisdom I had when it came to that."
Phillips actually stepped away from the game in college because of injuries (including being hit by a car while driving a moped). In the NFL, he saw two straight seasons end on injured reserve (torn Achilles and a knee injury).
So he knows of which he speaks, and he's already spoken about it to Scourton.
"I think that ultimately, you know, there's always a silver lining in any adversity," Phillips said. "And truthfully you just have to find it and you have to have that positive outlook and that positive perspective and for him understanding, at this time of his career he's going to be able to get healthy, he's going to be able to work on other areas of his body, he's going to be able to do things off the field that he might not be able to do. And so, ultimately, it's a blessing, and you know, he's just got to see it as that.
"We're going to miss him, and we do miss him every day. And I'm just excited for him to recover and come back and get back into full form because he's an absolute stud when he's on that field."
So it was encouraging to see him walk out to practice on his own two feet. Many players with torn ACLs will wait a bit before having surgery to let the swelling subside and strengthen the surrounding muscles for a long rehab.
"As long as we can have him around his guys," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. "He was out there doing some metabolics, moving around, just walking and making sure he has good flexibility and mobility in his leg. I mean, if you watch him, if you look over there and you see him walking around, you don't even know. But they're just keeping him in shape and strong. That really helps going into the surgery. For people who've had ACLs, you know how that is. The stronger you go in, the quicker you can recover.
"But again, having him out there, having him on the sideline around his guys, being involved in football, even after he gets surgery and he comes back to us, you know, the more we can just have him being involved, it's good for the team, it's good for Nick."
In addition to the physical benefits of pre-surgery work, Phillips knows first-hand how hard it can be when you're removed from the communal experience.
"Being hurt is something that nobody really understands how alienating it can be until you've been in that position," Phillips said. "The way football is, we're so regimented, and we have to be so present and focused that you know if something's not in front of you, you really don't pay a lot of attention to it. So you know, as somebody who's hurt, you have a completely different schedule; you're never really around us, whether it's the locker room banter or the warmups, the training. There's a lot of closeness that comes from the blood, sweat, and tears that we go through together on a daily basis.
"And so when you're outside of that routine, it can be very alienating, it can be depressing, it can be just a really s---ty experience. So for him to be around, I think it's super helpful just given the fact that he's young, we're all very close."
"Right now I think it's important for him to be around and for us to be able to uplift him and vice versa, because he is a special energy that really it's not the same without him."
Take a look at Tuesday's training camp practice photos, where the Panthers were joined by legends Steve Smith Sr. and Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson.
JJ Jansen and Ryan Fitzgerald are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Trevis Gipson is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Lee Hunter is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Miles Davis is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Parker Petersen is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Aaron Hall and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ainias Smith is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Albert Reese IV is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bam Martin-Scott is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Cam Miller is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Chau Smith-Wade and Steve Smith are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Chuba Hubbard is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Dave Canales and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
David Moore is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Derrick Brown and Saahdiq Charles are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Devin Lloyd is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Devin Lloyd is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Isaiah Simmons and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Isaiah Smith is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Isaiah Smith and Caden Prieskorn are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ja'seem Reed is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Ja'Tavion Sanders is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
James Mitchell is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jared Harrison-Hunte is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jimmy Horn Jr. and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
John Metchie III is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jonathon Brooks is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Jonathon Brooks is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Kenny Pickett is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Lee Hunter is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Luke Fortner is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Mike Jackson and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Mike Jackson is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Mike Jackson, Chad Johnson, Isaiah Simmons and Jaycee Horn are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Nick Scott and Jonathon Brooks are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Patrick Jones II is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Princely Umanmielen and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Princely Umanmielen and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Princely Umanmielen is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Saahdiq Charles is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Sam Hecht and Feleipe Franks are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Steve Smith Sr. and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Thomas Incoom and Elijah Garcia are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tommy Tremble is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Trevis Gipson is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Will Lee III is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Xavier Legette and Chad Johnson are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Xavier Legette is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Xavier Legette is seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Zakee Wheatley, Claudin Cherelus, Luke Fortner, Bryce Young and Jared Harrison-Hunte are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
Tetairoa McMillan, Chad Johnson and Bryce Young are seen during Carolina Panthers training camp Tuesday, Jul. 28, 2026 at the Atrium Health Training Facility in Charlotte, NC.
