Bryce Young’s NFL Future Could Ride On This Season

Young has only played in two full seasons with the NFL, and he’s yet to see a winning season. While that’s not uncommon, the sheer inconsistency with the Panthers is. In his first season, the team only recorded two wins. Last season, he only saw five. In his rookie year, Young completed only 59 percent of his passes and recorded only 11 touchdowns. He also recorded ten interceptions. Those numbers were slightly better last season; however, they were still below the usual average.

Things started to turn around at the end of last season, with Young and the offensive line finally getting into a rhythm. It didn’t help that Carolina had the worst-rated defense in the league, which also seemed to be turning around by the end of the season. While some of those positives have persisted, they haven’t been consistent enough to yield significant success on the field.

Coaching Staff Could Be Blamed

The problems with the Panthers can’t be blamed entirely on Young. The team had been floundering long before he even graduated. In the past five seasons, the team has had five different coaches and coaching staffs. They’ve also moved through every quarterback imaginable, from Baker Mayfield to Sam Darnold, and even welcomed back Cam Newton for a few games. In the three seasons Young has been with Carolina, he’s had three different coaches. So far, it seems that Dave Canales will be the one who sticks around the longest.

Inconsistent coaching doesn’t lead to a successful team. It’s not uncommon for management to make changes when the team is having a bad season, but completely firing coaches in the middle of two different seasons isn’t likely to bring the success fans want. Besides that, a rookie with uncertain leadership won’t allow for successful growth in the long run.

Hope for the 2025 Season

Despite a rough start to his career, there is some hope for this current season. Carolina has played similarly this year as in years past, marked by deeply uncomfortable failures paired with unlikely successes. In just their last game, the team beat the Miami Dolphins after spending most of the first half of the game at a 17-point deficit. Currently, the team has two wins and five losses, already surpassing Young’s rookie season.

The fact that Canales has remained with the team for another season is also helping to give the team a sense of stability. He was able to draft for the team he wanted to succeed, and in turn, draft players who would most complement Young. That includes Tetairoa McMillan, the rookie wide receiver who has already shown promise and chemistry with Young in every game he’s played in.

What Happens If He Doesn’t Improve

Just because he’s showing promise doesn’t mean Young will be able to rise to the challenge. Last season, Quarterback Andy Dalton was called from his second-string position to take over for Young while Canales tried to salvage his career. It seemed to work, with Dalton working to mentor the younger QB. Dalton is still on the roster and could take over if coaches don’t see improvement. That could allow Young to slowly fade from Carolina’s good graces, leaving him on the bench and potentially leading to his release.

Young’s release likely wouldn’t result in the same success that Mayfield has seen with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or that Darnold has seen with the Seattle Seahawks. Both quarterbacks already had successful histories before going to Carolina. Without any winning seasons under his belt and a history of inconsistent play, Young might have a hard time finding any team that would allow him a permanent spot on their roster.

End Of My Bryce Young Rant

The Panthers picked up Young from the 2023 draft and immediately thought he would fix everything wrong with the team. Many fans felt the same way. What they failed to consider was that the quarterbacks weren’t the problem. That’s evident from the remarkable success both Mayfield and Darnold have achieved outside of Carolina. Inconsistency from the backroom to the sidelines is what’s causing all these problems. Placing the future of a whole team on a rookie’s shoulders is a terrible idea, and without clear direction, it only sets them up for failure.

Young plays a good game, even if his build and style might not be what is needed to make a winning NFL team. The staff can address all of that if they’re willing to stay and actually coach him. His failure would be a reflection of the Panthers, not of Young himself. The problem is, fans are tired of waiting. If they make him walk, it would mean the end of his career and another empty spot that Carolina will try to fill with a successful player that might not be compatible with the team.