5 major observations from Bryce Young's performance vs. the Chargers

Bryce Young's body language

The fact Bryce Young isn't covering himself in glory is bad enough. But the most demoralizing thing above all else centers on how much this is visibly impacting him.

Young's body language wasn't great, to put it mildly. There's a lack of self-belief. The footwork that was supposedly improved throughout the offseason is causing untold complications. It's a sign of 'happy feet' despite the improvements made to Carolina's offensive line. Until this gets resolved - which is a mental thing more than anything else - the same problems will continue.

The Carolina Panthers have a big problem on their hands. Wide receivers such as Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen were visibly frustrated on the sidelines in the second half. Young was trying to talk to them, but either they didn't hear or they weren't interested.

It's hard to stay positive when things aren't going your way. Young's gone from a coveted draft prospect to potentially one of the biggest busts in league history in the blink of an eye. That's having a detrimental impact and it won't be much longer before there's no way back.

Where does Bryce Young go from here?

After another torrid outing that ended in a heavy defeat, what the Panthers do with Bryce Young moving forward is critical. He's not a player in form and is a shell of whatever Carolina thought he would be coming out of college. Dave Canales was seen as a quarterback whisperer during his previous stops. Even he's having a hard time getting a tune out of the second-year pro.

There are calls to take Young out of the firing line in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. The Panthers reaffirmed their faith in Young heading into Week 2. It'll be interesting to see if this mindset continues after another lackluster showing.

The Panthers are in danger of alienating their fanbase and causing friction in the locker room if they persist with Young and get no results. Keeping him on the field is only hurting his long-term outlook. There are countless examples throughout NFL history of college prospects falling by the wayside in this exact scenario.

This is a pivotal moment for Young and the Panthers. How Canales manages the coming days will make or break his season.

And potentially, his NFL career.

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