CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When all 90 Carolina Panthers players formed a line to console Nic Scourton on Thursday after his devastating injury on the first day of training camp, the moment hit home for Pat Jones in particular.Jones, an outside linebacker like Scourton, dealt with his own season-ending injury in his first year with Carolina in 2025. Jones endured “a lot of dark times” while missing the final 13 games after a back procedure.Unlike Scourton, who covered his face with his jersey as he was carted off the field, Jones was overcome with emotion when he returned to the practice fields in May.“When I first came back out here, I damn near almost cried. I went on the ground, took a knee and just started praying,” Jones said. “Because stuff like that, when it gets taken from you (and) you think it’s gone, it really hurt.”The Panthers were still hurting Friday, when Scourton was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL in his right knee. A year after tying for the team lead in sacks (five) while becoming the rare rookie to emerge as a team leader, Scourton’s second season ended in July.How the Panthers move forward without Nic ScourtonJoseph Person“Just a horrible loss for us,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “As a young guy to be able to be a leader because of how he represents himself.”Canales paused practice Thursday so he and his players could console Scourton before he headed to the locker room. But time waits for no one in the NFL. So on Friday the Panthers signed outside linebacker Cam Gill, a journeyman who spent part of the 2024 season in Charlotte.Gill, who led the UFL with 10 sacks in the spring, picked up a sack during a two-minute drill near the end of Friday’s practice. “Guy we’ve had in the past. Had a fantastic season in the UFL,” Canales said. “Just great to have guys that we know (and) know us. Helps out on special teams.”Gill and other backups such as Thomas Incoom and Trevis Gipson can provide pass rushing depth. And Jaelan Phillips’ role won’t change in the wake of Scourton’s injury. The Panthers are banking on the former first-round pick to supply consistent pressure after giving Phillips the most lucrative contract (four years, $120 million) in team history.But it’s two other players who will be counted on to fill the void opposite Phillips with Scourton out — Jones and Princely Umanmielen, a third-round pick who was mostly a non-factor during a rookie season in which he finished with 1.5 sacks while playing an average of 13 defensive snaps a game.Canales wants to see the 6-foot-4, 244-pound Umanmielen become more dependable against the run, while flashing more of the pass-rush potential he displayed during a 10.5-sack season at Ole Miss in 2024.“He’s got such great ability,” Canales said. “He’s got length. He’s got bend. He’s got speed. He finishes at the quarterback in his past, in his history. And just wanting him to continue to show that every single day and lock into a role. He’s gonna be able to push that group, and I can’t wait to see what he does.”Jones is eager to show what he can do after his first season with the Panthers was cut short after four games. After playing behind some proven pass rushers (Danielle Hunter, Za’Darius Smith) in Minnesota, Jones signed a two-year, $15 million deal with Carolina in 2025 as a replacement for Jadeveon Clowney.Jones was a Week 1 starter and had a sack in a win over the Miami Dolphins two weeks later. He tried to play through discomfort in his lower back heading into the Dallas Cowboys game, and was in more pain afterward.Tests revealed a herniated disk, which impacted nerves in Jones’ back and caused numbness in his leg. He underwent surgery to alleviate the problem, then spent the rest of the season doing rehab and strength work.“It was definitely a long journey, longer than I thought. It was really hard, a lot of dark times,” Jones said Friday. “I just leaned on God, definitely got me through.”Jones said being around teammates and coaches helped his mindset during his recovery. On game days, Jones would arrive at Bank of America Stadium in the morning and hole up in the weight room.“I’d work my ass off. I’d be in there for like two, three hours really just working,” he said. “People would see me in there working. I really just had to get that pain off me.”During the week, Jones would usually work out twice a day. And while the 6-4 Jones is at his same playing weight of 260 pounds, he said he changed his body composition and reported to camp the strongest he’s been in six NFL seasons.Jones is physical enough to set the edge in the run game, and versatile enough to slide inside on passing downs to take advantage of favorable pass-rushing matchups.“Pat’s got versatility,” Canales said. “He can play first and second down, but he also has inside and outside rush ability on third (down) and in known pass situations. It’s something he’s done for a while in his career. That’s really valuable. Pat will be out there. It’s just a question of how we mix in the rest of the group.”Jones, who had seven sacks in his final season with the Vikings, spoke to Scourton on Friday.Speaking from experience — and gratitude — Jones told him to make sure he built himself back up mentally and physically.“Feels good to be out here,” he said. “Gives me a brand-new perspective on how I look at the game, how much I appreciate it a lot more and just try to give my all.”