After an 0–5 start to the season has led to some national criticism, it has become clear to Panthers coach Frank Reich and the rest of his staff that their future is tied to rookie quarterback Bryce Young’s development, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Young, a Heisman-winner out of Alabama, was considered by many to be a future star quarterback and Carolina went all in ahead of the 2023 draft when the franchise traded multiple first-round picks to the Bears for the opportunity to take Young No. 1. Pairing young with a quarterback-friendly coaching staff hasn’t turned out the way the Panthers hoped, though.
Young has thrown for just 750 yards and five touchdowns along with four interceptions in his four games played while C.J. Stroud, the other top quarterback in the 2023 draft class, has emerged as a star right away. The Houston quarterback has already tallied 1,461 passing yards and seven touchdown passes to no interceptions—leading to some debate on whether Carolina made the right pick with Young.
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It has been believed that Young was given to much responsibility at the line of scrimmage, leading to him struggling so early in the season. As a result, the team made some major adjustments in Week 5 and simplified the verbiage and minimized Young’s pre-snap responsibilities. Young had his best game yet as a result, notching 247 passing yards and three touchdowns in a loss against the Lions. He did throw two interceptions, though.
While Frank Reich remains the play-caller, both he and his staff are aware that this next stretch of games are crucial for their future.
