Are the Panthers Contenders With Bryce Young in 2026?

Are the Panthers Contenders With Bryce Young in 2026?

The Carolina Panthers enter this season with a point to prove. The Panthers won the NFC South for the first time in 10 years and made the playoffs for the first time in eight, all with an 8-9 record. 

With the NFC South being labeled the weakest division in the NFL, the door is left wide open for the Panthers to make a statement and repeat as division champions. 

For the Panthers to reach those highs again, the team needs to trust and run through fourth-year quarterback Bryce Young. 

Recapping Bryce Young’s Turbulent Career

Young’s tenure on the Panthers has been anything but smooth sailing. The Panthers traded with the Bears for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to select Young, giving up pro bowl receiver D.J. Moore, the 23rd pick in the 2023 draft, a 2024 first round pick and a 2025 second round pick. 

The deal was largely scrutinized, especially considering the doubts on if Young was even the right choice at one. Quarterback CJ Stroud was reportedly in contention for the pick, with quarterbacks Will Levis and Anthony Richardson also being in the mix. 

Young did little to silence doubters in his rookie season as the Panthers finished an NFL worst 2-15, making their traded 2024 first round pick the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. 

His second season started even worse. Young started the first two games of the season and failed to deliver on any expectations. The Panthers quickly made the decision to bench Young for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and it looked like Young’s time in Carolina was limited. 

However, Young eventually got the job back and showed flashes of what made him the No. 1 pick despite the Panthers overall disappointing season.

Young entered the 2025 season as the starter and had four mixed performances as the Panthers started the season 1-3. A comeback win over the Miami Dolphins kickstarted some consistent performances for Young who brought the Panthers to 4-3, his first time over .500 in his career. 

Bryce Young’s Best Performances

Young’s breakout game came against the Atlanta Falcons. He threw for a career-high 448 and three touchdowns with zero interceptions in a 30-27 overtime win, setting a Panthers record for passing yards in a single game in the process. 

Young again flashed his brilliance against the Los Angeles Rams with a 31-28 win where he threw for over 200 yards, three touchdowns on 75% completion percentage. He rode that high through the rest of the regular season and into the Wildcard round against the Rams. 

In Young’s playoff debut, he had a shootout with MVP Matthew Stafford, throwing for 264 yards and a touchdown in a 34-31 loss to one of the top teams in the NFL. While the loss stung, it gave Panthers fans something to look forward to for the first time in years. 

Panthers 2026 Season Predictions

The Panthers success this season rides on whether Bryce Young can carry his momentum over from last season and finally take the step to being the player the Panthers need him to be. 

He has all the pieces around him to succeed. Second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan is coming off an offensive rookie of the year campaign where he amassed over 1000 yards. Fellow breakout receiver Jalen Coker will be wide receiver two for the Panthers, giving Young two great options in the pass game. 

Behind him are running backs Chuba Hubbard and Jonathan Brooks, who can both take some pressure off of Young through the run. 

The defense also bolstered up, notably adding linebacker Devin Lloyd to fill a much needed gap. The team is set up to succeed and repeat as NFC South champions with Young under center to start year four. If the offense can flow through him and he can play with confidence as he did to end last season, the Panthers could be a team to watch out for come January.