Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Bryce Young‘s 2024 season did not start the way he or the Panthers wanted it to. He will remain atop Carolina’s quarterback depth chart for at least the rest of the season, though.

Young was benched in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 3, a move which put his Panthers future in doubt. Quarterbacks who lose their starting gig shortly after arriving in the draft do not have a long history of reclaiming it and remaining with their original team. Dalton suffering a sprained thumb in a car accident moved Young back atop the depth chart by default in Week 8, though, and he has maintained the starter’s role since then.

Head coach Dave Canales had previously declined to declare Young the Panthers’ starter on a full-time basis despite keeping him in place each week. The first-time head coach changed his stance in that regard this week, however, confirming it will be last year’s No. 1 pick guiding the offense the rest of the way. The manner in which Young responded to his poor outing against the Cowboys in Week 15 played a part in that decision.

“Watching him in game was what was so impressive,” Canales said (video link via Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer). “To see him just continue to stay in there, to have his footwork exactly where he needed to be to throw to No. 1 in progression and really still see the field… I’ve been around football for 15 years and see where games like that can really pile up on a guy. To watch him handle it and to be composed and to talk with his teammates and keep working with the issues, I thought was so impressive and I wanted to make sure he knew that.”

Young threw a pair of interceptions on Sunday and also lost two fumbles. On the whole, turnovers and sacks taken have again been an issue in 2024, but since returning to the lineup the 23-year-old has shown flashes of his potential. Especially with the Panthers sitting well outside the playoff hunt at 3-11, it comes as no surprise the team plans to keep Young in place to close out the season and in doing so give him additional opportunities to develop.

The Alabama product has not done enough before or after Canales’ arrival to cement himself as the Panthers’ uncontested franchise quarterback, but with his rookie contract running through 2026 (or 2027, if his fifth-year option comes into play) there is still ample time to change that. For the coming offseason, adding competition for the QB1 gig could be an option; at a minimum, re-signing Dalton (a pending free agent) or bringing in another experienced veteran will be required.

Recent signs have pointed to the Panthers turning their attention to positions other than quarterback at the top of this year’s draft. Carolina is on track for a high selection on Day 1, but the team may find itself out of range for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Given the Panthers’ struggles on defense, adding on that side of the ball would be a reasonable approach during the first round. Plenty of time remains for a decision on that front to be made, and Young’s evaluation process will include three more games at the helm.

Year 2 with the Panthers has seen Bryce Young removed and re-inserted into the lineup amongst up-and-down performances. It remains to be seen if Carolina will target a replacement, but at this point the team appears to be eyeing moves at other positions.

Young’s ability to recover from a disappointing rookie campaign was a central storyline for himself individually and the organization as a whole. The main goal of first-year head coach Dave Canales was guiding last April’s No. 1 pick into a franchise passer, a process which hit a roadblock early in the campaign. Young was benched in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 3 before eventually returning to the top of the depth on a permanent basis in Week 8. During the intervening period, trade calls came in given the potential of Carolina being willing to move on.

As general manager Dan Morgan confirmed last month, however, consideration was never given to a trade. Young and the Panthers’ offense have generally seen an uptick in performance since he returned to the starting lineup, although Week 15 represented a notable exception in that regard. Questions therefore still linger with respect to how Carolina will proceed in the offseason. Young figures to remain in the team’s plans, though.

Quarterback should not be considered a position the Panthers target during the first round of the 2025 draft, ESPN’s David Newton writes. Aiding the team’s defense would represent a reasonable goal, and Newton adds edge rush will likely be a option for Carolina’s top pick (one which could still reach as high as the No. 1 slot). Joe Person of The Athletic likewise notes Young should still be in place for next season at a minimum (subscription required).

The 23-year-old’s trade value is not particularly high given how his Carolina tenure has gone to date, and with his 2025 and ’26 compensation (totaling roughly $10.3MM) guaranteed, a release would not be sensible. Young could also be retained one season longer via the fifth-year option, but a decision will not need to be made on that front until after the 2025 campaign. How Young and Canales fare that year will be pivotal in shaping the franchise’s rebuild.

In the meantime, Person adds a veteran presence should be expected to pair with Young. Options include a new deal for Dalton (a pending free agent) or other signal-callers set to hit the market this spring like Daniel Jones. Person names Geno Smith as a potential target based on his familiarity with Canales, although his Seahawks future remains uncertain. An experienced passer would insulate against the possibility of Young regressing in 2025, but for now that is the level of investment under center the Panthers should be expected to make during the offseason.