Biggest winners from Panthers' preseason loss to Texans

There was not much winning to be had for the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon. Not only did they get handed a 20-3 loss by the Houston Texans, but they also got some not-so-encouraging performances from their starters.

Nonetheless, a handful of their guys still made some statements on the day.

Here are the Panthers’ biggest winners from their latest preseason outing . . .

RB Trevor Etienne

Etienne put his vision and balance on display, as a rusher and a returner.

Unfortunately, his best two runs—a 10-yarder in the second quarter and a 24-yarder in the third—were erased by a pair of offensive holding penalties. But he still finished with a hard-fought 18 yards and averaged 22.5 yards per kick return.

The 2025 fourth-round pick could be solidifying himself as the No. 3 running back over veteran Raheem Blackshear.

WR Brycen Tremayne

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Tremayne has not gone unnoticed this summer.

After being praised by head coach Dave Canales on multiple occasions at practice, Tremayne put on in a game setting—notching a team-high 46 receiving yards on three catches. His 23-yard grab in the third quarter was the longest for either team.

Even with the solid depth in Carolina’s wideout room, the second-year pass catcher could be making a surge for a spot.

OLB Princely Umanmielen

Umanmielen displayed some promise both as a pass rusher and a run defender.

The third-rounder, as often preached by the Panthers staff, set the edge with great anticipation and pursuit. He also notched a pair of quarterback hits.

With fellow 2025 draftee outside linebacker Nic Scourton set to miss some time with a collapsed lung, Umanmielen may be primed for an even bigger role as a rookie.

K Ryan Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald seemed to be losing a grip on the kicking competition of late. Not only has he struggled recently in practice, but veteran Matthew Wright remained atop the depth chart at the position this past week.

Well, the undrafted rookie chalked up a huge win on Saturday—tallying Carolina’s only three points on a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter. Wright, on the other hand, missed on his 55-yarder later on in the contest.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers preseason: Biggest winners from Saturday’s loss to Texans

Biggest winners from Panthers’ preseason loss to Texans

Tags: