What was shaping up to be a disastrous 2024 campaign turned out to be not that bad for the Carolina Panthers, as Bryce Young finished the year on a heater. While still underwhelming when compared to the standards that come with being selected with the No. 1 overall pick, Young showed enough flashes to give Panthers fans reason to believe in him as their franchise quarterback. Panthers fans hoped to see continued improvement in the preseason, but that hasn't happened yet, to no fault of Young's.
Young started Carolina's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns and was under center for two drives. The Panthers went 3-and-out the first time they touched the ball, but Young led the team on a touchdown drive the next chance he got before getting removed. Panthers fans hoped to see more of him on the field in Week 2, but Young again played just two drives and went 3-and-out in each against the Houston Texans.
Surprised Dave Canales didn't give Bryce Young another series. Six plays. Hmm.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 16, 2025
Six plays was all Panthers fans got from Young. Yes, it's only the preseason and these games don't mean much, but they mean more for guys like Young, don't they?
Bryce Young has more to prove and needs the chance to play
Even if it's in games that don't count, Panthers fans are eager to see what Young can do. His strong finish gave Panthers fans a nice glimpse, but that's in the past. What can Young do in 2025? How strong is his connection with Panthers 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan? Young found McMillan a couple of times in Week 1, one of which resulted in a 30-yard gain, but Young didn't complete a single pass on Saturday.
Going 0-for-2 isn't great, but how much can you learn from those two passes? How much can you learn from six plays? It would've been nice to have seen Young and Co. pick up a first down at least on the second drive, but games aren't won or lost on two drives.
With all due respect to Andy Dalton, Panthers fans already know what he can do at the NFL level, and yet, he's playing far more than Young. I understand there's an inherent injury risk, but the Panthers shouldn't operate scared right now. They need to see what Young can do, and there's no better way to judge that than by watching him in action against another team.
The games might not matter, but the reps do. I'm not suggesting Young play a full game or even a full half at this juncture, but why not give him a quarter at least? This is especially worth asking when Young only got to attempt two passes.
It might only be mid-August, but the Panthers only have one more preseason game on the schedule. He'll almost certainly play more next week, but the question of whether he will have accumulated enough game reps to have him ready for the regular season is one absolutely worth asking.