Bryce Young's regular-season opener in 2024 went about as well as his rookie campaign. One could make a strong case for things being even worse given how well the offensive line performed overall in Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints.
Young's confidence is shaken, there's no getting away from that. The player and the Carolina Panthers' coaches can say all the right things throughout the week, but it's undeniable at this point. We'll find out much about the former Alabama star's character and fighting spirit over the next few weeks, starting with the team's home curtain-raiser against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium.
Jim Harbaugh will have a plan in place to nullify Young and send his self-belief crashing further. This needed a collective effort and plenty of resolve from the signal-caller and those around him. As it turned out, it was another woeful outing as the Panthers suffered their second loss of the campaign.
With this in mind, here are five major observations from Young's performance versus the Chargers in Week 2.
Major observations from Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young's performance vs. Chargers
Bryce Young's hesitancy
Bryce Young was eager to restore confidence in his abilities and said all the correct things during a week in which he received praise from head coach Dave Canales. Unfortunately, the same hesitancy remained when push came to shove.
The Carolina Panthers were not executing anything effectively in the passing game. Young was shaken and lacked conviction under center. There's evident nervousness whenever he drops back to pass and the Los Angeles Chargers defense smelled it from a mile away.
This is the problem with Young right now. He cannot seem to generate any positive momentum and it's leading to unnecessary complications. Being shaky at football's most important position rubs off on teammates. They can sense it too, so it has to change as a matter of urgency if the signal-caller wants to stand any chance of carving out a successful career for himself.
Just how long that'll take is the big conundrum. But make no mistake, time is of the essence.
Coaching scared with Bryce Young
Bryce Young didn't play well again. That's not up for discussion and something he'll acknowledge upon further examination of the game film. However, head coach Dave Canales also needs to shoulder some responsibility for his quarterback's failings.
Canales once again called an extremely conservative game. He was bemoaning their lack of third-down conversions when speaking to the sideline reporter at half-time, but it's hard to gain the yards needed when passes and calls are barely going past the line of scrimmage.
The pressure is on Canales. It's early into his NFL head coaching career, but he's not left a good first impression despite the encouraging signs throughout the offseason. Either he doesn't believe in Young, or he's being outcoached and failing to find the right answers to the opposition's defensive schematics.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator needs to get it together. Canales hitched his wagon to Young - although he wasn't part of the brain trust that drafted him. They've got to make the best out of a bad situation, however difficult it appears right now.
Bryce Young's abysmal first half
If Bryce Young wanted to set the tone right out of the gate and convince his doubters that a brighter future is ahead, he was out of luck. The signal-caller was nothing short of abysmal during the first half. Completing 80 percent of his passes for just 22 yards was bemusing, although the play-calling did him no favors whatsoever.
The Panthers also saw Young cough up another interception, which was eerily similar to his first pick at the New Orleans Saints. The Heisman Trophy winner had no business throwing the football where he did. At the elite level, this indecision always gets punished.
Young looked visibly dejected after another giveaway. Fans weren't shy in making their feelings known, booing the signal-caller and his team off the field after they went in 20-0 down. It was another unmitigated disaster from start to finish.
Confidence is being sapped with every passing contest where Young is concerned. Even his most devoted optimists will acknowledge that things are not looking too promising right now.
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.