The Carolina Panthers expect QB Bryce Young to play in Week 4.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young is expected to play in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions.
Young never came out of Week 3's loss to the Cleveland Browns, but he was moving gingerly after a sack in the first half.
Young is dealing with some pain in his knee, but Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Wednesday that he's confident Young will play in Week 4.
After playing like a superstar in Weeks 1 and 2, Young came back down to earth in Week 3. Against the Browns, Young went 26/48 through the air for 291 passing yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception.
Young took a step back in Week 3 against the Browns. After throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, Young followed up with 287 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in Week 2 against the Falcons in Atlanta.
Entering Week 3, Young led the NFL in passing touchdowns and ranked second in passing yards. He was completing 63% of his passes and his EPA per dropback was .24, seventh in the NFL.
The Browns' defense did a good job against him.
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. It was picked up by Carolina in the offseason.
The Panthers didn't sign Young to an extension, so the QB has to play well again this season to get paid next offseason.
Young led the Panthers to the playoffs last season, where Carolina lost to the Los Angeles Rams at home in the wild-card round. It's been remarkable to watch Young's turnaround in Carolina. Remember, Young was benched for Andy Dalton in 2024. When that happened, many people thought Young's days in Carolina were over.
However, the Alabama product kept his head down and worked hard and he played really well in Weeks 1 and 2.
The hope is that Week 3 against the Browns was a one-off.
Young enters the Panthers-Lions game with 939 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns on the season. He has two interceptions and is completing 59.5% of his passes.
The Panthers will be without their starting cornerback duo for at least the next four games, as they placed Jaycee Horn (quad) and Mike Jackson (groin) on injured reserve on Wednesday after both were injured in the Week 3 loss to the Browns.
Canales said Jackson underwent successful surgery on his groin on Tuesday. Horn, meanwhile, will not have surgery.
