Shortly after first-year Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales benched second-year quarterback Bryce Young following a pair of woeful September outings, it was reported that his time with the Panthers was likely “over.”
It appears the situation has changed after Young played like a legitimate NFL signal-caller over his past four starts.
“A month ago, I would have said the chance of Young remaining on the Panthers roster was slim,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote in a piece published Wednesday. “And while Young being their 2025 starter is hardly a slam dunk — the Panthers have a lot to sort through — he has certainly given Carolina something to think about. He has had a good month, starting games out of merit instead of necessity.”
While Young was reportedly “p—-d” about being benched, he handled himself like a pro before veteran Andy Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident. Since re-entering the lineup, Young has gone 2-2 as a starter and has completed over 61 percent of his passes for 784 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Fowler noted that Young “could serve as a good bridge or competition with another quarterback” next summer if a Carolina regime that didn’t make him the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft wants to hold onto him through the upcoming offseason. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Dan Graziano pointed out that Young “appears to have turned a bit of a corner” since Oct. 27.
“Given that he’ll be entering only year three of a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract, there’s little reason to think the Panthers will move on unless they get blown away by a trade offer,” Graziano added about Young’s future.
Young likely has little trade value this fall, and Carolina won’t want to get rid of him if he plays well enough through Week 18 to attract noteworthy offers from would-be buyers ahead of next year’s draft. For now, he’ll look to build upon his most recent performances when the 3-8 Panthers host the 5-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming Sunday.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Carolina as a six-point underdog for that matchup.