The Athletic's Mike Sando surveyed 50 coaches and executives for the 2026 edition of 'Quarterback Tiers', and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young landed at No. 22 overall.
Now, to be fair, the anonymous voters weren't dismissive of Young. In fact, many praised how far he has come since entering the league. One coach who faced Carolina late last season called his development "an eye-opener."
"His command, his confidence, his accuracy, the movement -- he just seemed so much more confident as a player. It reflected in their team."
Bryce Young is still fighting for respect in fourth Carolina Panthers season
Another offensive coach highlighted what separates Young from many quarterbacks despite his size.
"His vision down the field allows him to throw it later in the down and create a little. He sees passing lanes well. He can throw with anticipation."
That showed as Young's voting average improved by 0.34 points from a year ago, the third-best jump among all 35 quarterbacks in the survey. The encouraging news for the Panthers is that respect often follows sustained success.
"He made a huge jump in 2026," one coach whose team faced Carolina in the second half of the season told Sando. "His command, his confidence, his accuracy, the movement... he just seemed so much more confident as a player. It was an eye-opener for all of us to watch him perform."
Then came the caveat that's followed Young since he entered the league: "He is what he is physically. He looks like a high school kid out there." Young stands just over 5-foot-10, and that number still shapes how the league sees him no matter what shows up on tape.
Bryce Young is starting to change the narrative, but it's still not enough
Not every voter focused on size.
A former general manager pointed to Young's anticipation as "off the charts" and credited him with putting his supporting cast in position to succeed, even if he's not the guy elevating it on his own. A rival executive went further, predicting Carolina will eventually pay the signal-caller.
That contract is the elephant in the room. Young became extension-eligible this offseason, and the Panthers already used his $25.9 million fifth-year option for 2027.
But Carolina isn't rushing a new deal. And that's probably the smarter play for both sides.
Another playoff appearance, and a stronger start to the season after two consecutive second-half surges, would make it much harder for national evaluators to keep placing him near the bottom half of starting quarterbacks.
For now, though, the latest quarterback tiers serve as another reminder that despite everything Young accomplished last season, he's still fighting for the respect many Panthers fans believe he's already earned.
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