SPARTANBURG, S.C. — It's early, but the connection between Bryce Young and DJ Chark has been pretty obvious at Carolina Panthers training camp.
Chark told us last week he's taken a lot of time to get to know the rookie quarterback off the field, and that relationship seems to be paying off on it.
At Saturday and Monday practices, the two of connected on some deep throws down the field, where Young seems to put it right where Chark is heading, dropping it in the bucket.
The duo seems to be developing.
“It seems like they do connect every practice," coach Frank Reich said. "You’ve got two really smart players. DJ’s a really smart player, very savvy and instinctive and he’s got the speed to go with it. Bryce is obviously the same way. That’s looked good. We’re excited about it.”
Monday marked the first practice in pads for the team.
Young, who has received rave reviews from teammates for his leadership and humility, was humbled again with another interception after throwing one each of the two previous practices.
The latest pick came in an 11-on-11 team drill when Young, with a collapsing pocket, threw it into the hands of linebacker Frankie Luvu.
But the No. 1 overall pick bounced back, as he has all camp, with a nearly perfect 7-on-7 session, including about a 40-yard strike to Chark.
“Unflappable," Reich said of Young. "Whether he’s throwing a deep ball for a 40-yard gain or if it does happen, the one or two interceptions he’s thrown, you move on to the next play. I don’t think you have to have that conversation with Bryce."
Young also seems to be finding tight ends Hayden Hurst and Ian Thomas quite a bit on short routes, a welcome sign for Panthers fans hoping for more production from that position under Reich.
The Panthers continue training camp on Tuesday and will come back to Charlotte for Fan Fest on Wednesday night.