NFL quarterback power rankings still have Bryce Young far too close to bottom

Carolina's young signal-caller has grown his game by leaps and bounds, but not everybody got the memo.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 01: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers looks on prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still lacing up its cleats. The same seems to apply to bad takes, even if they're made in good faith. That's why it may take a while for the NFL world to catch up and understand just how well Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is playing right now.

Since returning to the lineup in Week 8 Young has demonstrated some remarkable improvement compared to his rookie season and his atrocious games to begin the 2024 season. The benching appears to have done exactly what was intended: allowing Young to effectively hit the reset button and start over with a clean slate.

Young has used the opportunity to raise his performance to a level we haven't seen before. In some ways he's outperforming even some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. Since his return Young has been as aggressive as any starter throwing downfield, he's dramatically cut down on his turnover-worthy plays and has given the Panthers a fighting chance two win each game even when they are heavy underdogs.

And yet some people still apparently think this is one of the game's worst QBs, if these rankings are any indication. According to the 33rd Team, Young is only the 28th best player at his position right now, with only a handful of hopeless cases and career backups ranked below him (Drew Lock, Cooper Rush, Mac Jones and Will Levis).

33rd team on Bryce Young ranked 28th

"Bryce Young has been a different quarterback since he returned to the lineup. The way he leaves the pocket under pressure has been a complete switch from panicking and bailing to a more controlled rollout. Because of that, he’s made more plays from that position. He’s been one of the best quarterbacks at avoiding sacks across the past few weeks and put up 0.17 EPA per play under pressure against Tampa Bay while being pressured on 44 percent of his dropbacks."

And yet floundering young QBs like Aidan O'Connell, Anthony Richardson and Caleb Williams to name a few are all ranked ahead of Young. You can also make a case that Young is playing better than C.J. Stroud, Bo Nix and Drake Maye right now. Placing aging veterans like Jameis Winston and Derek Carr ahead of Young is also a questionable move at this point.

If it were our call, we'd have Young ranked ahead of all of those names above, which would put him around number 20. A few more weeks of playing like this and he'll be much higher than that.r

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