When he was guiding Alabama, quarterback Bryce Young of the Panthers persevered through a two-win season—a feat that would have made him angry before the NFL.
Coach Dave Canales of New Carolina, who specialises in dealing with quarterbacks, says he sees the same player in Young as he did in the Crimson Tide. Same vibe, same aptitude, same attitude.
“Whether it was a late-season game or one of their early games where they’re running someone out of a stadium, he’s got the same effect in those moments,” Canales told CBS Sports. “I watched him at Alabama for all those years.” When it comes to his work, he is the same. I therefore understand that there will be a portion of him just feeling certain games out.
He has excelled as the top player in high school and college, so he naturally expects to reclaim that title. In order for Young to achieve this, the Panthers must address several issues. One major concern is the high number of times the quarterback was pressured during plays in 2023, resulting in 62 sacks, the most in the league last season and unmatched by any quarterback in the past decade. Despite being consistently behind in games during their 2-15 season, Young made 486 pass attempts while trailing, a number that even surpassed Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season with the Jaguars in 2021. Like Young, Lawrence was a highly-touted draft pick accustomed to winning, although he has yet to fully turn around the Jaguars and recently signed a lucrative contract extension.
During the off-season, the Panthers made significant changes to their offense. They acquired Diontae Johnson from the Steelers and invested heavily in offensive linemen Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. In April, they made moves to secure top talents like Xavier Legette and Jonathon Brooks in the draft. The team is also noticing a more relaxed attitude from Young, who has found it easier to balance his emotions without suppressing them completely.
