Panthers might have finally found the quarterback who won’t flinch

Say what you want about Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, but it’s hard to argue when it’s late in the fourth quarter and the game is on the line, we see flashes of why the front office gave up the farm to draft the former Alabama star.  

Even the most ardent Young defender can struggle to argue against the roller-coaster of emotions one goes through when watching the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. The gripe of many fans is the fact that he goes from the spectacular to the stupid in one play. We saw a pair of horrific turnovers in Week 5, including a fumble where the signal-caller just dropped the ball.  

But we also saw Young make the type of plays that make you think he can carve out a role as the Panthers’ franchise quarterback. A stunning fourth-down throw to Tetairoa McMillan and a beautiful anticipatory throw to Xavier Legette were just two notable examples.

Bryce Young is rapidly becoming the Carolina Panthers' closer

While questions can be fairly leveled at Young for his ups and downs, it’s hard to argue that the player seems to come alive when things matter more. Young has won just eight games in his NFL career — seven of those wins are as a result of game-winning drives.  

Those statistics don’t include games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, where Young led his team down the field to either tie or take the lead. Or in the case of the Eagles clash, have Legette drop what could have possibly been a game-winning touchdown.  

We saw this play out again against the Miami Dolphins. It was down to Young and the offense again, and the Mater Dei High School graduate led the Panthers on an eight-play, 88-yard drive down the field, including a clutch fourth-down throw to rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. This culminated in a game-winning touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans.  

It remains to be seen if Young’s future lies in Charlotte. The flashes of brilliance are sometimes scarcely believable; the lows are those of a quarterback destined to fail. If he can find a safe middle ground, even adopting a game manager play style, this would carve out a long-term role in Carolina.

Against better defenses than the Dolphins, the Panthers will likely struggle to recover from a considerable deficit. That proved to be the case in Week 4, when Carolina was trounced by the New England Patriots.

Young has a chance to shine in Week 6 against a Dallas Cowboys defense that finds itself toward the bottom of most defensive metrics. Coupled with the potential return of second-year wide receiver Jalen Coker, this could be an opportunity to see the best of Carolina's much-maligned man under center.