Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young high-fives tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders during minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers youngster goes from bust to 'most promising building block'

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 10:10 AM ET

During the early part of the 2024 season, the Carolina Panthers feared the worst with quarterback Bryce Young. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft was struggling mightily and was sent to the bench in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. This led to concerns that he could be headed for the dreaded "bust" label.

Then, Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident, which forced the Panthers to give Young another chance. He didn't squander that as his play was vastly improved down the stretch, giving the Panthers hope they might have their franchise signal-caller after all.

As evidence that this feeling isn't unique to Carolina fans, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently named Young as the team's "most promising building block" heading into the 2025 campaign.

"Initially, Young struggled with poor accuracy and posted modest passing numbers in his return to the starting lineup, though in his last three outings, he threw for seven touchdowns without an interception, completing 65 percent or more of his passes in two of those contests."

Moton also brought up the addition of Tetairoa McMillan, the 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Arizona. His presence gives Young a legitimate WR1 threat, who will help him as he continues to develop as the leader of the offense.

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

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