Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) breaks up a pass by Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bryce Young is only ranked ahead of 2 backup NFL quarterbacks going into Week 5

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Carolina Panthers have played eight halves of football so far this season - and Bryce Young has really only impressed in one of them. During that furious comeback attempt against the Arizona Cardinals we saw all the reasons why the Panthers picked him at No. 1 overall in 2023.

While he deserves some consideration for the supporting cast dynamic being significantly downgraded compared to last season, Young knows that his numbers need to be better, no matter what.

The latest weekly quarterback power rankings from Cody Benjamin at CBS Sports illustrate the situation just right. Young is down two more spots from last week, coming in at No. 30.

"Coach Dave Canales keeps defending his guy, which is a testament to Young's own leadership. But it's hard to get around the fact that the Panthers have consistently been one of the least effective passing attacks with him as the point guard."

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Canales himself is no small part of the problem, as his playcalvling has been both unimaginative and far too conservative for Young to do his best work.

Young's lack of pass protection is another significant part of the puzzle that's missing this year. So is a run game that was strong last season and almost entirely dormant now. It's also become clear that trading Adam Thielen was one of the worst ideas this front office has had in recent years - and considering the competition that's a really stark statement.

All that being said, Young has just not done enough to keep his team competitive. The only two quarterbacks who are ranked lower than him this week are Cooper Rush - who's starting for an injured Lamar Jackson - and Jake Browning - subbing in for an also-injured Joe Burrow.

By now Young needs to be further along than this - and if he doesn't rise sharply over the next two weeks as he faces a couple of the worst defenses in the league, it's fair to wonder if he's ever going to rise to where he belongs in this picture.

Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) puts on his helmet during warmups before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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