Bryce Young began what is going to be a career-defining season on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Carolina Panthers are counting on their potential franchise quarterback to usher in a new era of prosperity. Something that looks more possible after a superb end to the 2024 campaign.
Young turned the page on his mini-renaissance quickly. He was fiercely driven to prove this wasn't just a flash in the pan. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft is out to prove he's capable of meeting his pre-draft billing, and everyone within the organization is now firmly behind the signal-caller.
Not having left tackle Ikem Ekwonu was a blow. The Panthers opted not to risk the blindside enforcer after he didn't practice throughout the week as he recovers from an emergency appendectomy. That was the right call, but it provided Young with another stumbling block to navigate that he could have done without.
This was also Young's first game since Adam Thielen, his most trusted asset in the passing game, was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. Jalen Coker's injury couldn't have come at a worse time, either, so the Alabama product needed to show the correct resolve in the face of even more adversity.
As it turned out, everything that could go wrong, did, as the Panthers suffered a humiliating loss to start their 2025 exploits.
With that in mind, here are five major observations from Young's performance at EverBank Stadium in Week 1.
Major observations from Bryce Young's performance against the Jaguars in Week 1
Bryce Young's rhythm
Dave Canales isn't a big fan of the preseason. But maybe he should be moving forward after another woefully disjointed performance from the Panthers.
The lack of rhythm was glaring. It wasn't just Bryce Young; it was everybody. There was no real cohesion, and the Panthers didn't look ready to play. That's a dangerous combination that brought an inevitable result.
Young's timing was off with his wide receivers, for the most part. There were some individual errors, both from the quarterback and his pass-catchers, and the presence of Adam Thielen was sorely missed in key moments.
One week isn't enough to press the panic button. It's a long season, and the Panthers have a lot of football left. Even so, it's not hard to see what complications could emerge for Young if this is the start of an upcoming trend.
Everything was out of sync. No real momentum was generated at any stage. It was a worrying first display, and not even a long weather delay managed to shake Young and the Panthers out of their slump.