The Carolina Panthers made some impressive additions to the ranks this offseason. But when it's all said and done, they will only go as far as quarterback Bryce Young takes them.
Optimism is growing around Young. Things looked bleak for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft after his benching before Week 3 last season. This brought an incredible response from the player, who regained confidence and demonstrated superb resolve to come back from the brink.
Young looked like a different player when he came back into the lineup. He was confident, decisive, and became a beacon for others to follow. This trend has continued throughout the summer, which has fans and analysts projecting a major breakout for the Heisman Trophy winner in 2025.
Carolina Panthers' fate rests on Bryce Young and defensive growth in 2025
Sayre Bedinger from NFL Spin Zone highlighted the growing belief in Young as a reason for placing the Panthers at No. 26 in his new power rankings. However, the analyst thought making noise in the NFC South is also dependent on whether Ejiro Evero's defense can make the required strides when competitive action begins.
"Panthers head coach Dave Canales made the wildly unpopular and difficult decision last season to bench Bryce Young for Andy Dalton, and even though that was last year, it feels like it was a lifetime ago. The Panthers brought Young back into the mix and he had a really nice stretch of games to end the 2024 season. Now, he’s got Tet McMillan to throw the ball to and hopefully an improved defense behind him. The Panthers’ defense was dead last in points allowed last year, so they obviously have to show signs of life for this team to compete in the NFC South."Sayre Bedinger
This is a fair assessment. Football is the ultimate team sport. The quarterback is king, but if one side of the ball is far superior to the other, that's not exactly a recipe for success.
Young can only do so much. The Panthers were competitive over the second half of 2024 when the signal-caller got into his groove, despite Evero's historically bad defense. For head coach Dave Canales' squad to take the next step and possibly enter the NFC South title conversation, it must be a more balanced effort.
The Panthers are counting on Young to deliver. He proved capable of doing just that if given a chance in the clutch last season. If Evero's unit can be more competitive after some substantial investments from general manager Dan Morgan, this team will give anyone a run for their money.
And who knows, perhaps that will silence all remaining doubts around Young along the way.