Tommy Tremble said what critics are afraid to confess about Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers may not have beaten the Los Angeles Rams to reach the playoff divisional round, but quarterback Bryce Young went a long way to restoring his reputation for good. And for those inside the locker room, it was another sign that this franchise has finally found the right signal-caller to lead them long-term.

Young handled the pressure of his first NFL playoff game superbly. Aside from the interception, he was accurate and had conviction in everything he did. If sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. hadn't dropped a fourth-down conversion attempt on the game's final drive, we might be having a different conversation.

The Panthers pushed Los Angeles every step of the way. It left a sour taste in Young's mouth, but he made believers out of critics. There are some who remain skeptical, but the former Alabama standout has the unrivaled support of everyone inside the locker room.

Tommy Tremble believes the Carolina Panthers have found their guy in Bryce Young

Tommy Tremble was the latest player to lavish Young with praise. The tight end is encouraged by what he's seen from the player. He also knows that when the Panthers give him a chance, he's proven capable of coming through with everything on the line. That is the most important thing of all.

"He's been ballin'. Like I said when he got here, he's a great football player. He's shown that he can win us games, and that's all you need in a quarterback. I'm really excited for his future. He's just going to keep fighting."

Tommy Tremble

Most critics are still hung up on their pre-draft projections about Young being too small to be an NFL quarterback. His improvements after being benched two games into head coach Dave Canales' tenure say otherwise, and even though the Panthers didn't pull off a monumental upset, he was way down their list of problems.

The Panthers are going to pick up Young's fifth-year option. That gives Carolina another season to properly evaluate him before taking the next steps. However, they could just as easily extend him beforehand. This approach carries much more risk, but if the Heisman Trophy winner continues to ascend, it will also save them much more money in the long run.

Either way, the players and coaches are fully behind him. Young has earned their respect, and he's grown more influential as a leader this season. Losing in the wild-card round was disappointing, but this should only spur the Mater Dei High School graduate on even more when preparations for the 2026 campaign begin.

And if additional enhancements arrive, Young will silence his skeptics for good.