Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is having a heck of a start to the 2026 NFL season.
Going into the 2026 NFL season, the biggest storyline for the Carolina Panthers was quarterback Bryce Young. Going into year four of his NFL career, there are some questions surrounding Young and if he's the franchise quarterback.
Carolina picked up the fifth-year option earlier this Spring but has yet to make a long-term decision in terms of a contract. But Young could be making it easy on them with how he's played.
The Panthers are 1-1 so far through two games, and Young has played fantastically. Now, after a big win over the Atlanta Falcons, he's climbed the stat rankings.
Among all quarterbacks in the NFL, Young ranks first in passing touchdowns (six), second in passing yards (648), fifth in passer rating (113.3), and third in yards per attempt (8.8).
He's also taken care of the football. Young has just one turnover, throwing an interception in Week 1 right before halftime. That's been a huge part of his success this season: not allowing turnovers to take over his game.
Now, the national media is starting to recognize it.
"I want to talk to two people here," CBS analyst Justin Simmons said on Sunday. "The first one is Bryce Young. Awesome job, man. I think one of the best things at least so far in his young career, that happened was his benching and Andy Dalton coming in. The way that he took the coaching was backing up Andy, and for him to respond this way, he is a legit quarterback in this league."
Simmons went on to tell quarterbacks who are number two on their depth chart or fighting to earn a spot that they need to watch Young and what he did in his situation.
The challenge for Young now is to keep this consistent. Chicago's defense was considered one of the worst coming into the year and Atlanta's has really struggled as well. The competition will get tougher for the Panthers and Young but if he can show this during those games, the Panthers may have their guy.
Carolina will head to Cleveland and face off against the Browns in Week 3. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
