Should Carolina Panthers Play Bryce Young in the Preseason?

Matt Alquiza | Aug 7, 2024

Jul 24, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) buttons up his helmet at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It's about the time of year for folks to start asking everyone's favorite football question: should *insert name of quarterback* play in the preseason? It's truly a question without a right answer.

On one hand, the reps are valuable. Facing live bullets against real defenses, building chemistry with your offensive line, and working out the timing kinks with your weapons are important tasks that can get checked off in a couple of preseason drives. On the other hand, the potential risk of injury looms over any decision a coaching staff makes. The Carolina Panthers know that all too well, as they are set to return to the venue at which quarterback Cam Newton sprained his foot in a preseason game against the New England Patriots.

This brings us to current Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. After Monday's practice, head coach Dave Canales was non-committal about his quarterbacks status for Thursday's preseason tilt. "There could be (a chance Bryce doesn't suit up on Thursday night). I keep going back and forth with that. There is some value to allowing him to play with Austin (Corbett). And there's also the flip side of it. Which we know."

Reading between the lines, my gut tells me that Young will maybe play a series or two on Thursday night, if at all. In the grand scheme of things, the franchise is still early on in their ramp up to the regular season. There's a good bit of camp to get through before the lights in the Superdome turn on in week one.

However, the real question is should he play? And the answer to that is unequivocally yes.

Bryce Young has proven nothing on an NFL field thus far. His rookie season (outside circumstances aside) was incredibly disappointing. His start to training camp has been shaky at best. His coaches and teammates have consistently pointed to his marked improvement, but I would describe Young's performance this summer as consistently inconsistent. On one snap, you'll see the Bryce Young that Carolina drafted number one overall in 2023. Elite instincts. Top-notch out of structure ability. Marksman-like accuracy. On another, you'll see the svelte signal-caller struggle with a pass rush in his face, unable to connect with his targets.

A quarterback like Young, and a team like the Carolina Panthers, need to get all of the live repititions they can. Dave Canales will step onto the field as a head coach in the National Football League for the first time in his life on Thursday night, and his quarterback should be under center for the first snap. That duo needs to learn each other's rhythm and cadence in a real game setting. The synergetic flow of play call, to snap, to pass or run needs to be stress-tested in live action, which is exactly what the preseason is for. Young played sparingly last preseason, and onlookers saw him and former head coach Frank Reigh struggle to get on the same page early in the season as they racked up penalties and wasted timeouts.

Thursday's game is the perfect chance for Young to take a big step forward in his preparation for his sophomore season. We'll see if the quarterback has a ball or a clipboard in his hands come the opening snap.

Read more about the Carolina Panthers:

Carolina Panthers Release First Depth Chart of the Season

Some Good News on Xavier Legette's Injury

Bryce Young is Seizing Leadership Opportunities in Year Two