The Carolina Panthers are in the middle of a rebuild. While it’s too early to judge where they are just yet, this team appears to be on the upswing after a couple of dismal, injury-plagued seasons.
Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich should know as well as anyone what it’s like to go through that process. His squad is a little further along, but they’ve also had to rebuild in the wake of Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement a couple years ago. After watching his team practice against the Panthers the last few days, Reich seems to have come away impressed. Here’s what he said about Carolina, per Joe Person at the Athletic.
“It was good to come in here against a team that is young and playing fast. And they’re ascending. This is a team that’s ascending and one of the younger teams in the league. We’re a pretty young team, so you feel that energy and youth.”
The Panthers have the second-youngest team in the NFL heading into the 2021 season. While their inexperience could be a problem, having a solid young core like this is usually a sign of good things to come.
Their first test will come tomorrow afternoon against the Colts, and it will be a tough one. Indianapolis finished with an 11-5 record last season and had one of the best defenses in the league.
