Bryce Young’s Fiery Side Emerges at Panthers Minicamp

Bryce Young is done being quiet.

The typically easy-going quarterback surprised teammates and coaches during the first day of Carolina Panthers' mandatory minicamp Tuesday, when he confronted Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn. 

In a fired-up exchange, Young showed a shift in attitude and maybe in the Panthers’ culture.

Horn had overheard Young call a play in the huddle and tipped off the defense, down to the routes the receivers were running. Young didn’t let it slide.

“Y’all should believe in yourselves,” Young shouted at Horn. The moment lasted more than 10 seconds, according to ESPN's David Newton. It also revealed a side of Young not often seen publicly in his first two NFL seasons.

“He’s talking way more this year,” Horn said after practic. “He’s talking trash every day.”

The current set of Panthers are far from being a contender on paper, but after seven straight losing seasons, the players believe Young being vocal is a sign of change.

“Guys are finally sick of being the same old Carolina Panthers," Adam Thielen said. “We want to get back to what they did here in the past.”

Second-year head coach Dave Canales praised the intensity of his team, especially from Young. “He just has a defiance to him,” Canales said. “That’s just kind of his way of competing.”

Young earned back the starting job after being benched early last season, finishing the year with a five-touchdown performance in a 44–38 win at Atlanta. The Panthers followed that by selecting Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Another weapon to give Young more confidence entering his third season.

Still, Canales said Young isn’t coasting. “Even when I took him out, he stayed in the center of it,” Canales said. “He continued to lead.”

Now, Young enters the 2025 season with a stronger voice and a team ready to follow him.