Has Panthers' Bryce Young finally proved worthy of No. 1 pick?

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Has Panthers QB Bryce Young finally proved worthy of No. 1 pick?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 21, 2025 5:47 PM ET

Carolina Panthers third-year quarterback Bryce Young may be turning the corner.

On Sunday, Young outdueled Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield in Carolina's home game. The Panthers star finished 21-of-32 passing for 191 yards and two touchdown passes. Mayfield, meanwhile, completed 18-of-26 passes for 145 yards, one TD and one interception. Mayfield's pick late in the fourth quarter sealed a 23-20 win for Carolina.

With the win, the Panthers are now 8-7 and are first in the NFC South, putting them in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Carolina can clinch a postseason berth if it beats the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, and if Tampa Bay loses to the Miami Dolphins. It could also make the playoffs if it beats the Buccaneers in Week 18.

Leading Carolina to the playoffs could be a career-changing win for Young. If he did so, pundits may stop labeling him as an unmitigated bust.

Bryce Young is a PLAYMAKER.

TBvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/JJVdo38TIQ
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025

How Bryce Young would benefit from leading the Panthers to playoffs

Before the 2023 NFL Draft, the Panthers traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks and WR DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears to move up from No. 9 to No. 1 and take Young. Through his first two seasons, that looked like a mistake.

Young went 6-22 in his first 28 starts. In 2024, Panthers second-year head coach Dave Canales benched the former Alabama star in favor of Andy Dalton. The 2021 Heisman winner earned the job back after Dalton sprained his thumb in a car accident.

In his second season under Canales, though, Young has finally looked like a viable starting QB. Entering Sunday, the QB has had four fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives (via Pro Football Reference). Both marks are career highs.

In the most important part of the season, Young has been playing some of the best football of his career. Over his past five games, the QB has a 3-2 record and has thrown for 1,177 yards, 10 TD passes and two interceptions, posting a solid 107 passer rating (via StatMuse).

If Young can keep building momentum heading into the postseason, that would be critical for him. The 24-year-old signal-caller is in the third year of his rookie contract, and Carolina must determine whether it wants to activate his fifth-year option this offseason.

Luckily for Young, he's showing why the Panthers took him with the No. 1 pick at the right time, potentially making the team's decision easier.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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