Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young is acting differently this year.
According to a key Carolina Panthers player, QB Bryce Young is acting differently this year.
Second-year TE Mitchell Evans told The Athletic that Young is "more confident" in 2026.
“Just being here for the last year and a half, I’d say he just seems more comfortable,” Evans said. "Even from when I first got here to now, he seems more confident in himself. And just the way he carries himself, he’s got more of a presence. And you can see that reflected on the field and even in the locker room and throughout the building. You can see he’s more confident.”
Last season, Young finished with 3,011 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
Young is set to make $12.1 million this season in the fourth year of his rookie deal. His fifth-year option is worth a guaranteed $25.9 million.
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft, Young enters this season with 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Carolina uniform.
Carolina has a difficult 2026 schedule. They face the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
If Young plays well, he will get paid next offseason.
However, if Young struggles in 2026, he may not be on the Panthers in 2027.
“I’m not a big sit back, reflect, compare (person). Doesn’t really do anything for me. So I don’t think about the past like that,” Young said. “I’m happy with the camp we’re having so far. I’m happy with the growth as a unit. But it’s still early. We’ve got a lot more to do.”
