Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) pressures 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] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bryce Young named Carolina Panthers' biggest problem going into Week 2

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 9:25 AM ET

Bryce Young had a pretty bad Week 1 for the Carolina Panthers. Before that week, Bleacher Report noted that his lack of support was Carolina's biggest problem. That reared its ugly head against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it's also true that the QB struggled.

Heading into Week 2, B/R is now noting that Young himself is the biggest problem, not the bad pass-catchers, rough offensive coaching, and abysmal defense that Carolina sported down south in Week 1.

"It's really that simple. Last week, we highlighted 'support for Bryce Young' in this spot, and that's still a problem. But ultimately, this is a guy who seemed to take a significant step backward while committing three turnovers (and getting away with a pick-six negated by penalty) in a horrendous season debut," Brad Gagnon said.

Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He wrote, "Young was pressured on just 12.5 percent of his dropbacks but completed just one pass on six attempts that traveled 15-plus yards." That is not the formula for a good outing, and it ended up being just that. The offense was genuinely awful.

What's the outlook? Gagnon said it's fair to wonder if the breakout last season was legit or just an anomaly. He "desperately" needs to turn it around with a softer schedule against Arizona and Atlanta in the next couple of weeks.

The QB did a lot to undo all the goodwill he'd stored up last year with all his great outings, but it is also accurate to say it wasn't entirely his fault on Sunday. He had a bad day, but so did the coaches, the center, Yosh Nijman, Xavier Legette, and Ja'Tavion Sanders. That is all going to make life difficult for Young, and it certainly didn't help his poor play.

Unfortunately, it is true as well that Young needs to turn it around. He deserves patience, but NFL teams usually don't have that, and after all this time, the famously impatient Panthers probably aren't giving him much of a leash anymore, so another bad outing might spell doom for his season and potentially career.

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

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