ESPN has revealed their projections for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young this season.
The Carolina Panthers were able to win the NFC South division title last season and get into the playoffs. Heading into the 2026 season, no one knows exactly what to expect from them.
Bryce Young will be the deciding factor for the Panthers this season. Can he take another step forward and continue being the franchise quarterback the team drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft to be?
Last season, the 24-year-old quarterback showed flashes of being that guy.
Throughout the course of the 2025 season, Young ended up playing in 16 games. He completed 63.6 percent of his pass attempts for 3,011. yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while also running for 216 yards and two more scores.
Ahead of the 2026 season, ESPN has weighed in with their projections for Young.
ESPN analyst Mike Clay is expecting a solid season from Young. However, his projections would not see Young make a big leap one way or the other.
Clay has projected Young to complete 334 of his 537 passes for 3,634 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He is also expecting the young signal caller to run for 272 yards and two touchdowns.
Those numbers would be enough to help Carolina be a potential contender in the NFC. They are not good enough for the Panthers to be viewed as a Super Bowl contender.
Young has been given an excellent supporting cast. At wide receiver, he will have Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette as his top three options. Chris Brazzell III and Jimmy Horn Jr. will also be quality playmakers for him to utilize.
At the running back position, Carolina will have Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks leading the charge.
On paper, the Panthers should be a playoff contender. If Young can come in slightly above ESPN's projections, the team would be in much better shape.
It's going to be interesting to see what kind of season Carolina can put together. After finally getting back into the playoffs last season, the expectations are high. The Panthers will need to put in a lot of work to reach those goals.
