Bryce Young's renaissance is one of the biggest positives to take from the 2024 season. The Carolina Panthers must be thrilled with how things have gone for the quarterback since his return to the starting lineup. He's grown in confidence and looks like someone capable of manning the position long-term with additional refinement.
Young is playing with a sense of freedom and relaxation that was sorely lacking as a rookie. It was a difficult situation with no coaching cohesion and a lack of quality around him. Things haven't been easy under new head coach Dave Canales, but the Heisman Trophy winner is starting to demonstrate the qualities that made him such a highly touted college recruit.
The Panthers didn't get the job done last weekend at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, this game proved once again that Young is way down the list of problems facing Carolina this offseason.
Bryce Young deservedly surges up national QB rankings after Week 17
This was a sentiment echoed by Nick Shook from NFL.com in his latest quarterback rankings. The analyst surged Young into No. 11 league-wide as a result of his outstanding recent contribution. He even went as far as to proclaim his Week 17 effort as one of the best performances you're likely to see from such a one-sided affair.
"Was Carolina previously sending out a body double for [Bryce] Young? He looks like a completely different quarterback now, throwing sharp passes with remarkable confidence and handling pressure almost as if it doesn't exist at all. Young went toe to toe with Baker Mayfield early in this contest before cooling off, yet he still had one of the best games you'll ever see from a quarterback on the wrong end of a blowout loss. The Panthers didn't lose this game because of Young, and he's convinced me he'll have a bright future in Charlotte as long as Dave Canales remains his coach."Nick Shook, NFL.com
Confidence is growing, both within Young and from his teammates. Canales is starting to believe, although there are no assurances regarding his status beyond the 2024 campaign as yet.
Gaining plaudits from the national media looked like an impossible task for Young once upon a time. He was down and out after being benched following two games earlier this season. His impressive progress is a testament to the resolve within the player and his ability to make the best out of a bad situation.
Young's done more than enough for another chance in 2025. The Panthers need to surround him with more productive weapons in the passing game and he's not the finished product yet, but another season working with the same coaches could be the continuity needed to excel.
That's for the future. For now, Young's sole focus will be to finish the campaign on a positive note against the Atlanta Falcons and help the Panthers to their fifth victory of another underwhelming campaign. Everything after that is out of his hands, but his fortunes look more promising now than at any stage throughout his rollercoaster NFL journey so far.
The former Alabama star is starting to show signs of life. And if Young's supporting cast improves, this could be the start of a profitable career.