Bryce Young‘s 2024 season didn’t start the best way he or the Panthers wanted it to. He’ll remain atop Carolina’s quarterback depth chart for a minimum of the remainder of the season, though.
Young was benched in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 3, a move which put his Panthers future unsure. Quarterbacks who lose their starting gig shortly after arriving within the draft shouldn’t have a protracted history of reclaiming it and remaining with their original team. Dalton suffering a sprained thumb in a automobile accident moved Young back atop the depth chart by default in Week 8, though, and he has maintained the starter’s role since then.
Head coach Dave Canales had previously declined to declare Young the Panthers’ starter on a full-time basis despite keeping him in place each week. The primary-time head coach modified his stance in that regard this week, nonetheless, confirming it can be last 12 months’s No. 1 pick guiding the offense the remainder of the best way. The way by which Young responded to his poor outing against the Cowboys in Week 15 played a component in that call.
“Watching him in game was what was so impressive,” Canales said (video link via Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer). “To see him just proceed to remain in there, to have his footwork exactly where he needed to be to throw to No. 1 in progression and really still see the sector… I’ve been around football for 15 years and see where games like that may really pile up on a man. To observe him handle it and to be composed and to speak along with his teammates and keep working with the problems, I assumed was so impressive and I desired to be certain that he knew that.”
Young threw a pair of interceptions on Sunday and in addition lost two fumbles. On the entire, turnovers and sacks taken have again been a problem in 2024, but since returning to the lineup the 23-year-old has shown flashes of his potential. Especially with the Panthers sitting well outside the playoff hunt at 3-11, it comes as no surprise the team plans to maintain Young in place to shut out the season and in doing so give him additional opportunities to develop.
The Alabama product has not done enough before or after Canales’ arrival to cement himself because the Panthers’ uncontested franchise quarterback, but along with his rookie contract running through 2026 (or 2027, if his fifth-year option comes into play) there continues to be ample time to alter that. For the approaching offseason, adding competition for the QB1 gig might be an option; at a minimum, re-signing Dalton (a pending free agent) or bringing in one other experienced veteran will likely be required.
Recent signs have pointed to the Panthers turning their attention to positions apart from quarterback at the highest of this 12 months’s draft. Carolina is heading in the right direction for a high selection on Day 1, however the team may find itself out of range for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Given the Panthers’ struggles on defense, adding on that side of the ball could be an inexpensive approach in the course of the first round. Loads of time stays for a call on that front to be made, and Young’s evaluation process will include three more games on the helm.
