Bryce Young could be a different and better quarterback in 2024 for the Carolina Panthers, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
There’s no doubt Young struggled last season. He went 2-14 as a rookie starter and threw for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 59.8% completion percentage.
But with a new offense and a fresh outlook in Year 2, things are looking up for Young.
“Bryce Young, he’s just trying to get off the ground here after a really rough year,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “But I was told that Panthers coaches have been impressed by a few things in OTAs. One is accuracy. He’s hitting guys on the move in stride, and he’s also gained a little weight, added some muscle this offseason. The next step for him I’m told is footwork in Dave Canales’ offense, mastering that.”
The main change came at head coach, when the Panthers hired Dave Canales. The former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator helped mold the comebacks of quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith.
Then Carolina used free agency to address some needs along the offensive line. They signed guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. The contracts of the two guards total $150 million.
Young won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama and turned his collegiate success into the No. 1 overall selection in 2023. He looked like a homerun, but he struggled while No. 2 pick CJ Stroud excelled in Houston.
But, all is not lost as Young gets a new coach and still has a mentor in Andy Dalton, his veteran backup.
“I thought he handled it well, and I kept telling him, ‘Just stay the course. This thing is going to get better, it’s going to improve,’” Dalton said. “And I think what we have done this offseason, bringing in some guys, bringing in a couple guards on the offensive line, you know, different things, trading for Diontae Johnson, I think it’s getting built the right way where, yeah, it’s going to set him up to have a better year.”
There’s potential for Young, judging by his college career. Over the course of three seasons (two as a starter), he threw for 8,356 yards, 80 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 65.8% completion percentage.
As a member of the Class of 2020, Young was a five-star recruit out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei,according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 quarterback in the class and the No. 2 overall prospect in the class.
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