Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) talks on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young named among NFL's most intriguing players

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 8:20 AM ET

The Carolina Panthers' 2025 success largely hinges on Bryce Young, as unfair as that is. The team just traded one of Young's best weapons right before another reliable pass-catcher went on IR to start the season. They also fielded the worst defense in the NFL by a wide margin, and they've only been able to make patchwork improvements, so Young is not playing with a good hand here.

Still, the QB is the most important player, and Young is facing some pressure after his resurgence last season. He's still got more bad games than good in the NFL, so this is a big year. In fact, it's so big that one insider named him among the 25 most interesting players in the NFL this year.

Bryce Young has an intriguing year ahead of him for the Panthers

Bryce Young finally has a WR1, but the aforementioned issues (awful defense, two pass-catchers "leaving" before Week 1) are some reasons to be concerned about the 2025 season.

The Athletic's Mike Jones said, "The 2023 top pick finds himself in a precarious position. Benched early last season by rookie head coach Dave Canales, Young managed to recover, regain his job and show some signs down the stretch that suggest he might be starting to get it."

But there's the full-season caveat. Young hasn't put together a full season of quality play yet. "The Panthers need to see him elevate his game and deliver on a consistent level. Carolina has endured six straight double-digit loss seasons," Jones said. "If Young can’t spearhead a turnaround this season, owner David Tepper could be looking for his replacement next offseason."

However, it's worth noting that Tepper is more hands-off now, and the front office probably knows that Young's still not working with an ideal situation here. The defense has a couple of egregious holes at important spots (safety, edge, linebacker), and the top three wide receivers are rookie Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Hunter Renfrow.

Legette was bad as a rookie. Renfrow was out of the NFL and didn't even make the 53-man roster when Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker were available, and then it's David Moore, Brycen Tremayne, and Jimmy Horn Jr., so Young has his work cut out for him, and Dan Morgan likely knows it.

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

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