Bryce Young was selected as the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. This was a significant moment for both Young and the Panthers, who had traded up with the Chicago Bears to acquire the top pick. The Panthers had struggled a lot in the 2022 season with the main position that clearly needed filling was the Quarterback. They were looking for a new franchise quarterback, and Young was considered the ideal fit due to his high football IQ, impressive accuracy, and poise in the pocket.
Bryce Young quickly earned the starting quarterback role with the Panthers for the 2023 NFL season, and he made his debut in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. His debut had tons of struggles that usually come with being a rookie and being placed on a losing team. With the team adjusting to new head coach Frank Reich, many believed that this game could have just been a fluke and that there is much more to come from the soon-to-be star QB.
Over time, he looked to be scared in the pocket and didn’t seem to know what he was doing and led to Frank Reich getting fired only 11 games into his first year as a coach. There wasn’t much going right for the panthers. They finished the year 2-15 (last in the league) and didn’t have their first round pick since it was traded to the Bears for Bryce Young, who didn’t look like he would fit in.
Starting the 2024 season, they have gathered new weapons for Bryce Young hoping that he is still the answer to their problems. They signed WR Diontae Johnson who was a proven receiver for the Steelers the previous year as well as a rookie running back who would be coming off injury and would play a big role in the new offense under new head coach Dave Canales. But things just seemed to look the same and after just two games with big losses to the Saints and Chargers, Young would be benched.
Backup Andy Dalton started week three against the Raiders and he did what everyone was scared he was going to do – he won. They scored a season high 36 points and Bryce Young looked like he was never going to get the job back. After this, though, Andy Dalton seemed to struggle and would lose the next five games, forcing the Panthers to go back to Young.
This is when we began to see a different side of Bryce Young. Although he lost his first game back to the Broncos, he threw for two touchdowns and looked better than ever. The next two weeks after this, he would beat the Saints and the Giants leading them to a 3-7 record.
Although Young has struggled, he’s been showing signs of becoming a good quarterback that can lead the team to victory. Even though they are still one of the worst teams in the league, the future is bright for the former first overall pick.
