New Carolina Panthers QB Kenny Pickett shared the Heisman stage with Bryce Young in 2021.
New Carolina Panthers QB Kenny Pickett is no stranger to Bryce Young.
Pickett and Young shared the Heisman stage in 2021. Young won the prestigious award, with Pickett coming in third.
"We spent a lot of time together at the Heisman," Pickett said after signing with the Panthers. "Obviously, being on the Heisman stage together is special, you know, not everybody can say that.
"He's a great guy, I really respect him, his game, and what he's done so far in his career. Just looking forward to adding another element to the quarterback room, and you know. Championship. That's the goal."
Pickett and Andy Dalton will battle for the Panthers' No. 2 QB spot.
Pickett has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders. He has 4,953 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns and 16 interceptions in his career.
The Eagles won Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs. Pickett was on Philadelphia, serving as Jalen Hurts' backup.
"I think (Bryce and I are) very similar in how we play," Pickett said. "I think we both operate well from the pocket, and when things break down, we can make plays on the move. I think Coach does a lot of things play action-wise, boots, you get out on the edge, and we both can throw the ball well on the run.
"So, I think I think we kind of complement each other in what we do. We're excited to learn more about how he sees things, talk X's and O's, and get to know him better as a person first. But yeah, I think it's definitely exciting being in a room where you feel like we kind of play the same way and we kind of, the same mold of what they're looking for here."
Young finished the 2025 season 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.
The Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round of the 2026 playoffs. Young played well in his playoff debut. The youngster had 264 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.
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