CHARLOTTE — Panthers head coach Dave Canales has talked a lot about getting ready for the conditions in the regular season opener at Jacksonville, and Saturday was their first true taste of it of the heat and humidity.

The Panthers conducted their longest practice of camp in the hottest conditions yet, and they had a plan to deal with it.

With temperatures hitting the low 90s by 11 a.m. (the feels-like temperature was 100 at that time, considering the high humidity [dew point 70]), they called the first of two heat breaks.

Players were instructed to get to the cooling trailer, or at least to the misting fans on the sidelines or the shade from the equipment shed adjacent to the practice fields.

The athletic training and performance staff were quick to pass out cold towels, cool drinks, and energizing snacks, and encouraged guys to get off their feet for a moment, even by taking a knee if there wasn't room on the bench. Many players were dumping ice on their heads, anything to cool off. And Canales was no different, making his second trip to the cooling trailer 35 minutes later when they got another quick refresh before the final period of the day.

"I'm trying to encourage the guys to utilize the resources, so if I go in there first, then they'll all follow," Canales joked of his clear example of leadership.

"We had two really good opportunities for the guys to get into the cooling trailer, the cooling fans, and the bench, the equipment shed gave us a little bit of shade on the side too, so I just felt like, let's maximize the time we're out there," he said. "And selling the guys on, if we get these, these, refueling periods in between the practice, the next couple of periods, we can just go for it and put the pedal back to the metal.

"So that was kind of the challenge to the guys. They were up for it, and we were able to finish with the short move-the-ball right there in a great environment when all the guys are really hot, and the ability to be able to focus under those conditions is critical about this being a physical team."

The temperatures are expected to continue to push or exceed 100 for the next four or five days (it was 96 with a feels-like of 104 by the time they got off the field around noon), and when they return from their Sunday off, they're going full pads for the first time on Monday.

So for Canales, practices like these set the tone for what they want to be, but they're still going to be smart about it."

"It also tells us a lot about our players, there's another level, we call the pads the great equalizer," Canales said. "Where a guy may not have an advantage, when we're playing in shorts, but all of a sudden, it gets dirty in there, and it gets a little bit noisy in the trenches or even on the perimeter with receivers and DBs. And sometimes guys just elevate, sometimes guys take a step down, and so I think that gives us a lot more information about where we're headed as a team."

Jimmy Horn proving he's more than just speed

One-on-one drills were winding down when Jimmy Horn Jr. stepped to the line for one last rep. He was facing fellow rookie, safety Trevian Thomas and looking to go three-for-three in his faceoffs for the day. Horn released, followed his route to get around the defensive back, and then turned on the jets, pulling in the catch and running in for the touchdown.

As the rookie sixth-rounder jogged back towards the huddle, defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley yelled over to compliment him on his precision. It was one of those moments the coach couldn't even be upset with his DB. Horn ran a crisp route that couldn't be beat.

It's something the Panthers have been seeing more and more out of the young speedster. He has the gas to outrun guys, but the Colorado product is proving he also has the moves to beat them off the line.

"Credit to Jimmy Horn," tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders remarked, unprompted, after Saturday's practice. "The way he's getting in and out of his breaks.

"I think he got great speed, even better route runner. The way he can like get his body to torque and get in and out of breaks is like, it's nothing you can prepare for. Especially when it's game time and everybody moving full speed, there's nothing you can prepare for. You got to do your best to try to guard him."

Family time for players after practice

Camp's only a few days old, but these guys are working hard and keeping long hours.

So for the last half-hour of practice, player families came out to the sidelines, and a lot of dads got to see their kids run around on the field for a bit before getting into somewhere cool.

Being here for camp allows for a more normal experience for the guys with families, but it was still a perk for the guys, and the kids got to run around and play, and some even got some autographs.

Canales and Young even signed a shoe for one youngster. And not a collectible shoe, but the one he was wearing moments earlier.

Wardrobe malfunction

Center Austin Corbett is a large man, and he sweats a lot.

And he also has a job that requires him to put the ball in the hands of a guy who needs a clean surface to grip and throw.

So during the first cooling break, he called to the equipment staff for a dry pair of shorts, so he was able to change on the spot to create a better environment for Bryce Young.

"That was for Bryce, that was not for me," Corbett clarified.

There are two takeaways here.

One, Corbett is a considerate human being who cares about his work environment (and it allowed him to be slightly less gross when his wife and kids arrived). Two, the Panthers' equipment staff is ready for anything, at all times of the day.

Mike Jack vs. TMac heating up

When Tetairoa McMillan was first drafted, he talked about the excitement of facing Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson in practice, knowing it would be a good battle to prepare him for the season. Now, McMillan is getting his wish. Jaycee Horn has notoriously not taken it easy on the No. 8 overall pick this offseason. But on days Horn draws a different assignment, Mike Jack is stepping in to be just as stingy against the rookie receiver.

Jackson and McMillan squared off three times during one-on-one drills on Saturday. Jackson won each time. There was one rep where McMillan slipped at the right moment, and Jackson dropped what should have been an interception in the open space. But McMillan rarely had a chance to do anything against the veteran corner in the short space.

Another rep, the two raced down the sideline. McMillan used his frame and wingspan to attempt a high-point catch. But the smart play from Jackson ensured the rookie didn't have enough room in bounds to make a play.

It's exactly what Canales has wanted to see all offseason, as his two dynamic corners push the Top 10 receiver.

"TMac going against Mike Jackson, going against Jaycee Horn just makes him better at the line of scrimmage," Canales said during OTAs. "When you got two big guys who can run, and they're fundamentally sound, it makes you elevate your game. That's exactly what we want, and we try to create that in every room."