No quarterback finished the second half of the 2024 NFL season on a better trajectory than Carolina Panthers starter Bryce Young. It didn’t happen all at once, but Young made strides each week after returning to the lineup midseason following a six-week benching. That apparently was exactly what Young needed, because he was a totally different athlete and competitor by the end of the year than the one we saw at the beginning.
Where Young was timid and uncertain even in clean pockets in Weeks 1-2, Young was confident, even cocky at times by Week 18. Best of all, Young flashed a high-level deep ball – throwing frequently, accurately and aggressively on 20+ yard passes. He also showed that his Alabama ability to make uncanny plays off-script was not lost in his transition to the NFL.
Young will have to work on other parts of his game, but those two traits alone make him one of the most-exciting QBs to watch around the league in 2025. In fact, one analyst at Last Word on Sports says he’s the best potential breakout player in the NFL this year.
LWOS on Bryce Young
“Young finished the final ten games of the season, throwing for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions, showing glimpses of why he was chosen first overall. Young will look to build on that in 2025, and the Panthers are doing what they can to add support after having drafted standout wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan eight overall.”
In addition to glowing up the wide receiver room with McMillan and Jimmy Horn Jr., the Panthers also built on the continuity their offensive line had going and added pass-catching weapons at tight end (Mitchell Evans) and running back (Trevor Etienne) in the draft.
If head coach Dave Canales can get Young going at a similar level compared to the end of last season, it shouldn’t take long for Young to take the next step with a little more experience – which would put him in solid Pro Bowl candidate territory.
Then again, every season offers unique challenges and nothing is guaranteed in this league. There’s always a chance that Young could regress back into the version of himself we saw his rookie year, or worse. While remote, that potential regression would represent a nightmare scenario for this franchise because without another significant step forward from Bryce Young, all their good offseason work is likely to go to waste.
One way Young can help prevent that scenario is to develop a more well-rounded attack. Escaping pressure and thowing deep are great attributes to build on, but those are somewhat unsustainable and in any case not enough to make a living at this level in the long run. Explosive plays are always essential, but most importantly Young has to learn to move the chains a little bit at a time – especially because he won’t be able to take opponents off-guard with his vertical game anymore.