Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) talks with Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after the game of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars blanked the Carolina Panthers 26-0. / [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Football is an exceedingly complex game with tons of moving parts and countless factors deciding who wins and who loses. That said, the most important element is still the connection between the starting quarterback and his number one wide receiver. For the Carolina Panthers this year that's most likely going to be Bryce Young and rookie Tetairoa McMillan, although veteran Adam Thielen might give him a good run for his money.

Young and McMillan already have a history together, having come up in the SoCal high school football scene - and word has it that Young stood on the table for the Panthers to draft McMillan last month.

Here's our first look at these two working together in Panthers uniforms.

It's only a couple seconds of a 10-yard completion with no defenders, so there's really not much we can take away from this.

That said, at a glance Bryce Young's shoulders appear to be filled out a little more than they were the last time we saw him - which can only help. Meanwhile, McMillan is moving pretty smoothly, which will be one of the key factors as his size advantage gets diminished at the pro level compared to college.

We will get to see more of this combo soon, as the Panthers are holding their first two OTA practices this week, running on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will also practice Friday May 30, June 2-3 and June 5th.

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