The Carolina Panthers are a last-second field goal in Week 12 away from being on a three-game winning streak. Their sudden stretch of solid play has reinvigorated hopes that Bryce Young could be their franchise quarterback after all. If Carolina’s former MVP’s words carry any weight, Young may indeed be their guy.
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Earlier this week, Panthers legend Cam Newton expressed confidence in Young as Carolina’s signal-caller of the future. His comments, which came on his 4th & 1 podcast, also included a plea to the Panthers’ front office to properly support the second-year pro.
“You can win with Bryce Young. But you have to give him the resources… invest in playmakers, invest in the offensive line, invest in the defense. Invest in the damn kicker. Not to say they don’t have all those things or some of those things… [but] keep attaching pieces to the puzzle.”
Carolina took strides toward installing a real foundation for Young this offseason. They added tremendous skill talent – wide receiver Xavier Legette, running back Jonathan Brooks, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders – in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. They also reinforced their offensive line in free agency.
Those supplements didn’t bear fruit during Young’s first two starts of the 2024 campaign. However, now that he has taken advantage of some time on the sidelines and developed a better understanding of the game, the Panthers’ moves have looked more sound.
However, there’s no sugarcoating it: Bryce Young was awful to open this season. He completed 31/56 (55.3%) of his passes for 245 yards with three interceptions and zero touchdowns in Weeks 1 and 2. This led Carolina to bench him in favor of Andy Dalton.
Young was benched for Andy Dalton after Week 2
“The Red Rifle”, a three-time Pro Bowler for the Cincinnati Bengals, dominated in Week 3, compiling 319 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
His immediate success made all of the Panthers’ problems appear to be Young’s fault. But Dalton’s performance dropped off in the games that followed, culminating in a 93-yard, two-interception showing in Week 7.
After that contest, Carolina turned back to a Young they deemed to be new and improved. The Alabama college product hasn’t overwhelmed his opponents since, but has mostly avoided turnovers and effectively managed games. That’s much better than what he was doing prior to his benching.
Young will look to continue proving himself when the Panthers (3-8) host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13.
