It has taken time — more than anyone associated with the Carolina Panthers wanted.
But now Bryce Young is 8-6 as a starter this season after going 6-22 across his first two years. Carolina also leads the NFC South, and the Panthers might be two weeks away from their first playoff appearance since 2017.
However, former Panthers tight end Jeremy Shockey isn’t convinced just yet. In an interview with Hard Rock Bet, the ex-tight end was blunt about where he stands on Young’s future in Carolina.
“I think that’s still up in the air,” Shockey said.
Jeremy Shockey isn't convinced Carolina Panthers have found their long-term QB in Bryce Young
That alone was enough to turn heads. After all, Young is having the best season of his career. The Panthers lead the division. He’s authored six game-winning drives, the most in the NFL. Those are usually the lines associated with a quarterback who has officially arrived.
But Shockey pointed to inconsistency, citing Young’s Week 15 performance as an example where he managed just 163 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss to the New Orleans Saints.
“That’s a good example of why it’s hard to say that Young is becoming a franchise quarterback,” Shockey said.
The truth is: With Young, the highs are encouraging, but the week-to-week ceiling hasn’t always matched the moment.
Young’s raw numbers won’t wow anyone; his passing yardage sits near the bottom of the league. However, focusing solely on production misses the bigger picture. Carolina has already won more games this season than the Alabama product's first two years combined, and they’re winning because he’s delivering when it matters most.
“I don’t know what the answer is,” Shockey admitted. “Young plays very well sometimes, but other times, his play and the offense’s play are not good.”
Six game-winning drives are proof that Young can close, a trait that can’t be schemed or coached into existence. Even Shockey ultimately acknowledged what makes this conversation so difficult.
“Young is still a young kid though, and he’s got a lot of time left,” he said. “As long as he keeps getting better, he’ll have opportunities.”
And that’s the key. Young has gotten better. The next step is eliminating the inconsistency and sustaining high-level play when the stakes rise.
That test is coming quickly. The Panthers’ season finale versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looms as their most important game in nearly a decade.
For now, Young’s future remains a question mark. But it’s no longer a question rooted in hopelessness.
It’s one built on possibility.