Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is excited about what this upcoming season has in store for him. The young gunslinger is doing his best to stay poised for what is ahead.
“It's helped me through my whole life,” Young said, per ESPN. “The good, the bad, indifferent; making sure that myself, internally, I'm OK. Luckily, I've been very conscious of that my whole life, so I've had a lot of practice compartmentalizing things and trying to have healthy habits.”
The Panthers are relying heavily on Young to lead them back to the NFC Playoffs. Carolina had a very discouraging year in 2023, with a 2-15 record.
Young's rookie season with Carolina
Young struggled during his rookie season with the Panthers. He finished the 2023 season with just 11 touchdown passes, to 10 interceptions. Young threw for a total of 2,877 yards, and had a completion percentage of only 58 percent.
Those numbers simply must improve this season. The Panthers made a lot of offseason changes to help Young. It started with a new coach, as Carolina brought in Dave Canales to take the reins. The Panthers also drafted some talent in the 2024 NFL Draft to help Young, including South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette and Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders. Young will have some weapons, but it's up to him to use them effectively.
The young quarterback admitted it was defeating to lose so many games during his rookie season. Tensions got so high that the Carolina Panthers owner was even seen throwing drinks at opposing fans at one low point during the year.
“I'm far from perfect,” Young added. “We all have our struggles and things, and we have good and bad days. But it's like any season, it's important during a time when there's a lot going on and a lot of stressful situations, knowing that's a time to make sure I really don't lose sight of things mentally.”
Young's big addition
The Panthers' most noteworthy offseason move may be the addition of high octane wideout Diontae Johnson. Johnson joins Carolina from the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he helped the team make the AFC Playoffs last season. Johnson was reportedly not happy in the Steel City and looking for a change, and Young now has a versatile threat to target during each passing play.
In Pittsburgh, Johnson posted more than 4,000 receiving yards in five seasons. He caught 25 touchdown passes, and was targeted a whopping 639 times. Panthers fans should see a lot of Johnson in the passing offense, and that should make a difference for Carolina. Johnson is already hyping up his young quarterback, so it appears Young and Johnson have a good relationship.
The Panthers have a chance to make up some ground in the NFC South this season. The division was one of the weakest in football last year, as Tampa Bay was given a playoff spot despite a 9-8 overall record. Panthers fans are hopeful the franchise can march back to a Super Bowl. Carolina has never won the championship, despite competing twice in the big game.
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