7 Carolina Panthers players on the hot seat entering Week 2 vs. Chargers
By Dean Jones
Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers QB
Bryce Young is getting criticism from all angles after his woeful outing at the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. The Carolina Panthers are not willing to throw in the towel just yet, although some fans are already overreacting and demanding those in power start examining prospects from the 2025 NFL Draft at this early juncture.
Young was nothing short of abysmal when hopes were high that he could make immediate improvements under Dave Canales' guidance. The play-calling should have been better, but there is no excuse for some of the poor choices and errant throws made throughout Carolina's regular-season opener.
The former Alabama star was visibly dejected after the game. Young didn't look like confidence had returned much during his midweek presser either. This won't be going unnoticed by the Los Angeles Chargers, who'll be aiming to pile more misery on the troubled signal-caller at Bank of America Stadium this weekend.
This needs a tremendous amount of resolve from Young's standpoint. He must display better poise and have conviction in his pre-snap recognition. Anything less is going to come with grave ramifications attached.
Jordan Fuller - Carolina Panthers S
Ejiro Evero lost some established starters on defense this offseason. He was allowed to replace them with players that he'd worked with previously and trusted to get the job done within his 3-4 base scheme. One of those was Jordan Fuller, a Super Bowl winner with the Los Angeles Rams who boasts proven credentials.
Again, it's only one game and improvements should arrive. However, it was a disjointed debut from Fuller both in coverage and run support. Had Xavier Woods not performed so well alongside him on the backend, things could have been even worse.
Fuller is experienced enough to brush this aside and turn the page quickly. He's got the tools to be impactful and could easily bounce back this weekend against the Los Angeles Chargers. But the microscope will be looking a little closer at his performance levels to see if this showing was a blip or the start of something more concerning.
The Panthers and Evero, in particular, believe in Fuller. It's time for the safety to repay this faith and remind the world what a top-level performer he can be when firing on all cylinders.