The Carolina Panthers are heading into the 2024 NFL season looking to take a big step forward in their rebuilding process. A lot of their hopes will hinge on the play of second-year quarterback Bryce Young.
Young was the No. 1 overall pick during the 2023 NFL Draft. He came out of college as a superstar and an NIL megastar. By the end of his college career, Young was estimated to have an NIL worth of around $3.5 million, clearly doing alright for himself.
He was expected to show star potential right off the bat, but that didn’t end up being the case.
He struggled during his rookie season with the Panthers, although there were more factors than just his performance that contributed to those struggles.
Carolina opted to make some major changes to their coaching staff. They brought in an offensive-minded head coach in Dave Canales, who is excited to tailor his offense to fit Young’s skill-set. They also went out and added a lot of new talent around their franchise quarterback.
Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, Young is facing a lot of pressure. Respected NFL analyst Bucky Brooks has predicted that Young is one of the five players under the most pressure during the upcoming season.
“After a disappointing rookie campaign, the former No. 1 overall pick has been dismissed as an elite talent. Despite playing in a dysfunctional environment, critics have taken Young to task for failing to flash “franchise” potential by single-handedly making his squad competitive against all odds. With his classmate, CJ Stroud, looking like a potential superstar, the pressure is on the second-year pro to show up and show out under new head coach Dave Canales. Considering the quarterback guru helped resurrect the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield before landing the gig in Charlotte, Young needs to step up his game to alleviate some of the concerns regarding the team’s hefty investment in the young quarterback.”
During his rookie season in 2023, Young ended up completing 59.8 percent of his pass attempts for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also picked up 253 yards on the ground.
Clearly, those numbers are not going to get the job done moving forward.
Gone are the days of Young dominating opposing defenses in college. He was an absolute superstar during his career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, his impressive play from college is something that has kept the Panthers optimistic about the young quarterback.
During the 2024 season, Young will need to show a big amount of development. If he can’t do that, Carolina may have to start considering their options.
A lot is riding on the upcoming year for the 22-year-old signal caller. Hopefully, he’ll be able to rise to the occasion and prove that he can be the franchise quarterback the Panthers drafted him to be.
