Ex-NFL safety sets high ceiling for Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young

The future is looking bright in Carolina for the young signal caller.

Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The start of the 2024 season couldn't have gone any worse for the Carolina Panthers. They were blown out in the season-opener against division rival New Orleans, and after Week 2, first-year head coach Dave Canales made the bold move to bench starting quarterback Bryce Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.

Once Young returned to his starting role, he looked more like the franchise type of player the Panthers had hoped for when they drafted him. In his final eight games of the season, Young threw for 1,709 yards and 12 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

During Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Panthers legends Jonathan Stewart and Jake Delhomme were joined by former NFL defensive back and current member of the Pat McAfee Show, Darius Butler, to get his thoughts on Young's miraculous turnaround.

“He earned so much of my respect. When you’re drafted that high and you’ve got a new head coach, things are put on your plate immediately and it’s so, so tough. I don’t think he was set up for success at all. There was so much he had to deal with from protection-wise, understanding the game, speed of the game and I felt like it was too much, too fast. When he got benched, a lot of people wrote him off because he don’t have the elite traits that a lot of these quarterbacks have.

"Once he got benched and the mental toughness that he showed coming back getting that second opportunity, I felt like he was a completely different quarterback. I loved what I saw from Bryce Young, especially with a new head coach coming in and a new system. You get some more weapons up there, some more protection up front, I think the sky is still the limit for him.”

As strong as Young finished the season, there will still be some level of concern until he proves it throughout the entire course of a year. If he doesn't take a step forward in 2025, the strong finish in 2024 could be meaningless.

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