Six months ago, Bryce Young was nearly cast aside in Carolina -- benched for Andy Dalton two ineffective games into the 2024 season. A comeback and marked improvement down the stretch saved the 2023 No. 1 overall pick's job with the Panthers and provided optimism he can lead the club back to the playoffs.
With Young at the helm, there is continuity in Charlotte that has been lacking for years. The Panthers head toward the 2025 season with the same QB-coach-GM trio in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2019.
Young's presence under center provides stability, and the Panthers are returning many of the same parts on offense that shined down the stretch, allowing them to grow together under Dave Canales.
During a recent youth football camp, Young told the team's official website he believes the continuity will be a boon for the upcoming season.
"It's a privilege for sure," Young said. "Obviously, the same staff and so much on the offensive side is staying the same. So, just for us to continue to build and grow, it's something that we really look forward to. But also we know that there's work to be done, and just knowing the work that's necessary to put in, we are excited about that part too, just to grow and build. So it's encouraging. I wouldn't want to be in this with any other group, so we're all excited for the year."
The return of Adam Thielen and youngsters Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker gives the Panthers' wideout room a base -- one they can add to during the draft. The club signed running back Rico Dowdle to pair with Chuba Hubbard to upgrade the rushing attack, and the starting offensive line returning should provide cohesion.
All the continuity won't matter, however, if Young doesn't continue to develop.
After he returned to the starting lineup in Week 8 following the benching, Young was a much calmer quarterback, less rattled and more comfortable in Canales' offense. In those 10 games, he completed 61.8% of his passes for 2,104 yards, with 15 touchdown passes and six interceptions -- zero INTs in the final three tilts. He also led the Panthers to either a game-tying or game-winning drive in six of those contests.
Young knows that even as he took a giant step forward last year, the work is never finished.
"For me, it all resets year by year," he said. "We're able to finish on a strong note, which is great, but we're starting next year 0-0, and it doesn't carry over. We understand that we have to build off of that stuff; we're not just entitled to it.
"So, for me, I want to make sure that I'm working just as hard, if not harder, in the offseason, making sure that I have good habits, be as consistent as possible to do all the little things, and we all have that mindset which I'm grateful to be a part of a team like that."
The Panthers offense could be an underrated one entering 2025. The defense, on the other hand, still needs work, even after some free-agent additions.
