Bryce Young made encouraging strides during the 2025 campaign. The Carolina Panthers' belief in the quarterback is only growing, but that hasn't stopped his ongoing critics from taking their shots.
It's a tired narrative around Young. Some people point to the statistics and claim there isn't enough progress. Others just can't seem to get off their pre-draft opinion of the signal-caller, centering on being too small to carve out a successful career for himself.
Young does his talking on the field. Things are not perfect just yet, but the highs and lows are coming closer together. The former Alabama standout also showed he is ready for the big moment, knocking off some playoff-caliber teams this season while also pushing the Los Angeles Rams right to the wire in the wild-card round.
Bryce Young hot seat claim is not an opinion shared by the Carolina Panthers
There is still work ahead, but general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales have both outlined their supreme confidence in Young. That was not an opinion shared by Nic Bodiford of Pro Football Focus, who thought the No. 1 pick in 2023 heads into the new campaign firmly on the hot seat.
"His [Bryce Young] full-season 71.5 PFF offense grade is just the second-best among his three NFL seasons. After improving his passing play in 2024, Young worryingly reverted to his rookie season form in multiple categories. Young, 24, is firmly on the hot seat entering the 2026 offseason and could oneday fimself as another team’s reclamation project."Nic Bodiford
There is not much more Young can do at this point to silence his doubters. They've made their minds up, and nothing he does will change that fact. But looking beyond the stats would be the first example of how far he's come since being benched just two games into Canales' tenure.
His confidence, poise, and leadership abilities have all come to the fore impressively. Young drives his team forward. His teammates willingly follow him into battle, knowing that if they can do just enough to give their quarterback a chance to come through in the clutch, he'll almost always deliver.
Is Young the finished article? Of course not — not yet, anyway. But with another offseason to hone his craft and with more accomplished weapons at his disposal, it's hard to envisage a scenario where he doesn't take another leap forward in 2026.
Young might never enter the elite category of quarterbacks in the NFL. That doesn't mean he cannot take the Panthers where they want to go. And any negative statements coming his way, especially after his sensational postseason debut, are nothing more than tone-deaf at this juncture.