Two years after benching, Panthers QB Bryce Young proving top draft status

Known as a notoriously slow starter, Bryce Young looks different. Unlike his three previous NFL campaigns, the Carolina Panthers' quarterback appears confident with his on-field decisions, commanding a history-making offense.

Through two starts, the Panthers rank first in passing offense (312 yards per game) and second in scoring (35.5 points per game). Young, who is competing for a long-term contract extension, remains tied for first with six passing touchdowns and second with 648 passing yards.

Young and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, a rookie play caller, have connected early.

"I love how collaborative he is, how much conversation and feedback that we're able to have on the sideline," Young said, as reported by Panthers.com. "He's super diligent, on top of it as far as having notes, having thoughts, being that one or two plays ahead or two drives ahead on the sideline and being able to sit down and have that dialogue."

Through the opening two outings, entering Sunday's matchup at the Cleveland Browns (1-1), the Panthers' offense produced a franchise-record 71 points.

To Young, who dropped his opening seven Week 1 and 2 starts, things are beginning to trend differently.

Panthers QB Bryce Young making difference 

Two seasons ago, entering Week 3, Young endured his first practice assignment as a backup, benched by then-first-year-coach Dave Canales after two unsteady starts.

During his rookie year, the No. 1 overall draft pick endured a club-record 62 sacks during 16 shaky starts, directing the Panthers (1-1) to a 2-15 season. Two starts into 2024, Young compiled just 245 passing yards with zero touchdown passes and three interceptions, including a poor downfield attempt on his first pass of the season.

To his credit, Young remained focused on his locker-room leadership and supporting new starter Andy Dalton. The 2021 Heisman Trophy recipient returned to the starting lineup about two months later.

He appeared to emerge as a different signal caller. In his first 24 games after the benching, Young, displaying a flair for the dramatic, amassing 42 TD passes to 15 interceptions and 10 game-winning drives.

After two inspiring starts in '26, Young, who has his fifth season guaranteed, could be forcing general manager Dan Morgan into re-thinking his options on opening contract negotiations.

MORE: Panthers produce stunning 56-point turnaround after historic embarrassment

Going back to January's NFC Wild Card loss, Young has led the Panthers' offense to three straight 30-plus point efforts. He leads all QBs in the number of completions of at least 25 yards.

The hesitation that once burdened the 25-year-old's performances appears to be diminishing, along with the hasty throwaways when he felt pressure collapsing the pocket.  

“I think something we talk about a lot is watching this offense become Bryce’s offense,” Canales said, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.

Young joined Arizona's Kyler Murray as the lone quarterbacks under the age of 26 to register at least 285 yards, three TD passes and a passer rating of at least 110 during the opening two weeks of a season.

Entering Week 3 two years ago, Young later admitted to being at a low point in his young career. His teammates are noticing a difference.

"Obviously, he's laser-focused and locked in," running back Chuba Hubbard said. "He has a lot of juice, a lot of energy, you see at times again."

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