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Panthers Notebook: Bryce Young Relishes 1st Win; Locker Room Braces For NFL Trade Deadline; LT Ikem Ekwonu Fighting Slump

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – During halftime of Sunday’s 15-13 victory over the Houston Texans at Bank of America, the Carolina Panthers paid tribute to Muhsin Muhammad and Julius Peppers by adding their names to the franchise’s Hall of Honor.

Could rookie quarterback Bryce Young one day join the team’s ring of legends?

After a rough start to his career, the No. 1 overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft took his first step toward reaching his professional potential.

Despite sub-par play from the Panthers’ offensive line, Young, who was sacked a season-high six times, displayed poise by leading the Panthers on a 15-play, 86-yard, game-winning drive, capped by Eddy Pineiro’s 23-yard field goal as time expired.

One win through Week 8 will not endorse any invitations from Canton, Ohio, and Young shared no illusions of the challenge in leading the Panthers back to respectability.

“It’s a time for us to enjoy it and have fun,” Young said during Sunday’s press conference. “But (Monday), we come back and watch the film. And there’s a lot of stuff that we still can get better at, still can improve at. And we don’t want to be the team that got a win Week 8.

“We have to keep building off this.”

Out Of Playoff Contention, Panthers’ Starters On Trading Block

With the NFL trade deadline scheduled for Tuesday, the Panthers are 1-6 and likely out of the playoff chase before November.

The Panthers’ general manager Scott Fitterer could be busy Monday night. The Panthers do not have a first-round pick in the 2024 draft.

OLB Brian Burns, cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive back Jeremy Chinn may draw the most interest.

“I had a brief conversation with Scott within the last 24 hours of just some phone calls that he was takin’,” coach Frank Reich said, as reported by SI.com. “I actually plan on sittin’ down with him this afternoon some time to see if anything else has come up. Again, I was just focused on Houston.

“So, I don’t know. I’ve learned in these situations—trust the GM. He’s leadin’ that process. He’ll do a great job. He’ll pull me in when needed. We’ll have some conversations later today to see if anything’s come up in the last 24 hours that’s worth talkin’ about. And sometimes it does and sometimes things fizzle out. So, we’ll see how it all plays out.”

LT Ikem Ekwonu Fighting Sophomore Slump

Under constant harassment from the Texans’ defense, Young, who has been sacked at least four times during four of his first six starts, overcame the pressure to secure his first NFL win.

Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu likely was not looking forward to the film review Monday. Of the six sacks and 10 QB hits Young endured, Ekwonu was responsible for two, raising his season total to five sacks allowed. In 16 starts as a rookie, he yielded six.

The sophomore slump continues to the former sixth-overall draft selection. According to Pro Football Focus, Ekwonu allowed a team-high five pressures Sunday.

“Certainly the protection can be better,” Reich said. “Hey, Ickey’s a great player. He had one or two struggles in the past game. But same thing, he’s like every other player on the team. There (were) a couple (of) bad plays and then there were a lot of good plays. We’re confident in Ickey and the player that he is. So, we’ll learn from it and get better.”

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