Panthers HC provides major Bryce Young update

The Panthers clarified that their quarterback battle is over and believe Bryce Young is ready to take the reins as the starter.

"Yes, he's QB1," Carolina head coach Frank Reich said during a Wednesday news conference. "When we decided to pick Bryce, we imagined and saw the vision that we'd be standing here today, saying he's QB1." 

Although the Panthers signed Andy Dalton—a three-time Pro Bowler— to a two-year, $10M deal this offseason, relegating him to the backup role makes sense. The 35-year-old has a 9-11 starting record over the past two seasons. 

Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, needs reps so he can continue to improve and become the spark plug the organization needs. 

"I think Bryce has made good progress," Reich said. "Just speaking about how we've progressed things as an offense, you can just tell everyone is feeling more comfortable with it; certainly, Bryce is as well. So I feel good about where he's at." 

Reich gaining more confidence in Young is an excellent sign for the Panthers because it signals they made the right choice. They're pinning their hopes on the 22-year-old after five consecutive losing seasons. 

Young should keep growing under Reich, as the HC has a proven track record with highly touted QBs. Carson Wentz had his best season with Reich serving as his offensive coordinator, and Reich then helped backup QB Nick Foles guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory after Wentz went down late in the season. In 2018, former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck threw 39 TDs—the second-highest mark in his career— while Reich served as Colts HC.

Luck only played one season for Reich before retiring in 2019. Perhaps Young will make up for the short-lived opportunity and become the franchise savior he covets.