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Bryce Young is Finally Living Up to the Hype
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Bryce Young is Finally Living Up to the Hype

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Luke Easterling  |  Last updated Nov 24, 2025 7:01 AM ET

The Carolina Panthers paid a king's ransom to trade up to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, with their sights set on Alabama's Bryce Young as their new franchise quarterback.

Things didn't get off to the best start, as Young struggled mightily throughout his rookie season. He threw just 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in 16 starts, leading the Panthers to a 2-14 record. After throwing three interceptions and no touchdowns in the first two games of his sophomore campaign, Young was benched by first-year head coach Dave Canales in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.

He would earn the starting job back six weeks later, and ever since then, Young has slowly developed into the quality starter the Panthers were hoping he could become.

Young finished that 2024 season with 15 touchdown passes and just six interceptions over the final 10 weeks of the season, showing a knack for coming through in the clutch as he led Carolina to three overtime victories over that stretch.

He's picked up right where he left off so far this season, and the Panthers have followed his play from the NFL basement to potential playoff contention.

Following a 1-3 start, the Panthers have won five of their last six games. Sitting at 6-4 heading into Monday night's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Young has Carolina nipping at the heels of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have owned the NFC South for the last four years. Following the Bucs' loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, the Panthers would move into first place in the division with a win Monday night.

In last week's comeback win in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons, Young looked like the clutch, dynamic playmaker who won the Heisman Trophy for the Crimson Tide. He finished the game with 448 yards three touchdowns through the air, with no interceptions, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in the process.

Young is still the only quarterback in the league so far this season to throw for 400 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a game:

Heading into the 2023 draft, there were plenty of valid questions about whether or not a quarterback with his small frame could hold up to the physicality of the NFL game. Throughout his first season and a half, there were quite a few moments that made it look like he wouldn't be able to hang with a league that was bigger, faster, and stronger.

But Young has made marked improvement in just about every statistical category in each of his first three seasons so far:

Most importantly, Young is delivering in the most critical moments of close games, and inspiring belief in the Panthers' locker room that as long as he's under center, they've got a chance to win.

That might be the most important quality to have in your starting quarterback, and despite any physical limitations, Young continues to play his best football when the game's on the line.

Monday night against the 49ers, Young will face a defense that has been riddled with injuries this season, but is still led by one of the best coordinators in the league in Robert Saleh. Regardless of who's missing from San Francisco's lineup, a strong performance from Young would be even more evidence of his positive development.

A win would give the Panthers an inside track to their first division title in more than a decade, or at the very least, increase their chances of scoring a wild-card playoff berth.

At the top of that 2023 draft, the Panthers made a bold move to land a quarterback that could return them to relevance for the first time since Cam Newton was giving Superman performances in his prime. Young is on the brink of proving he's ready to be that guy, and Monday night, he'll get a chance to prove it in front of a national audience.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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