Bryce Young made some encouraging strides during his third season. It was the first legitimate sign that the Carolina Panthers might just have a franchise signal-caller on their hands. But for the player, he's not settling on his current trajectory.
Young is striving to improve. And this all starts by leaning on people he trusts and looking back before plowing forward.
There are still critics around Young. He needs to be more consistent. The former Alabama standout tends to play up to his competition, so finding some middle ground, no matter who he's going up against, can help him take the next step. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik taking over play-calling duties adds an extra sense of intrigue, but this all starts with the players.
Bryce Young is leading from the front to ensure Carolina Panthers' momentum builds
Young is eager to take things up a notch. He's leading from the front through leadership and communication. Others are willingly following, putting in the extra work now to minimize the risk of issues when preparations for the new campaign gather pace.
"I want to make sure that I'm able to continue to take the communication, leadership, and processing to a higher level. A lot of it was, for me, wanting to go back into the playbook, which I thought was just a good exercise for me.
"I wanted to sit down with the guys in this building, the guys I trust, and do self-scout and look through all the tape and stuff, and just wanted to be consistent in form, consistent in the habits with ball handling and how you're coming out of the huddle."
This is how a franchise quarterback is supposed to conduct himself. Not since Cam Newton have the Panthers had someone with this level of comfort and purpose, boasting the complete faith of everyone within the building.
It took Young a while to come out of his shell, and it was not easy to find his footing. Some even wrote him off entirely after being benched just two games into head coach Dave Canales' tenure. As it turned out, this was the spark that finally kick-started his NFL career.
Young looks older. He's not a fresh-faced rookie anymore. He's entering his fourth campaign as a seasoned pro with a ton of experience in high-stakes moments. There is still hard work ahead, but the Heisman Trophy winner knows precisely what is required.
The stakes are high for Young. He's getting his fifth-year option picked up by the Panthers, but the financial rewards will be far greater with another strong campaign. That could place him in the $40-50 million a year range, given how quarterback contracts have soared in recent years.
That will probably be at the back of Young's mind. But for now, he plans to let his football do the talking.
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