Bryce Young silenced some of his critics during the second half of the 2024 NFL campaign, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Carolina Panthers quarterback is completely out of the woods.
Young still has a whole lot left to prove, so much so that some are still wondering if the Panthers should consider making a move under center.
Take Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, for example, who feels that Carolina should already be looking toward the 2026 NFL Draft, which will likely have a deep quarterback class featuring Texas Longhorns phenom Arch Manning.
“In 2025, Young doing enough won’t be good enough,” Sobleski wrote. “He must look like a No. 1 overall pick capable of elevating the entire offense, and he’ll get help with Carolina’s offseason additions of Tetairoa McMillan, Hunter Renfrow, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Mitchell Evans. If that’s not the case, the Panthers should be looking to rectify a previous mistake and reinvest in the quarterback position.”
Sobleski added that Carolina’s second-half resurgence last season may have had more to do with Chuba Hubbard and the run game than Young’s performance.
It should be noted, however, that Young’s best showing came during the season finale when Hubbard was sidelined, as the 23-year-old went 25-for-34 with 251 yards, three passing touchdowns and a couple of rushing scores in an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Sobleski does have a point, though: Young has only had one half of a good season thus far in his NFL career, and it’s important to remember that he was actually benched in favor of Andy Dalton in the early stages of the 2024 campaign.
If Young doesn’t take a significant step forward next year, the Panthers may actually have to consider a drastic change at the quarterback position.
