The Carolina Panthers may have defeated the Green Bay Packers, but they still have a major Bryce Young problem.
The Carolina Panthers stunned the Green Bay Packers by a score of 16-13 on Sunday afternoon, getting back above .500 at 5-4 after getting routed by the Buffalo Bills last weekend.
But while the Panthers should definitely celebrate this massive win that puts them smack dab in the middle of playoff contention in the NFC, the victory still didn't hide a gargantuan problem still facing the team: Bryce Young.
Young missed Week 8 due to an ankle injury, and Carolina lost 40-9. So maybe the Panthers really did miss Young under center?
Well, it certainly didn't look that way against the Packers, as Young went 11-for-20 with 102 yards and an interception. That was good for a 48.3 passer rating.
Yes, it was the Packers defense, but let's be real: Young has been subpar all season long, and it's looking more and more like he is not the long-term answer at quarterback.
The former No. 1 overall pick showed such impressive flashes during the latter half of 2024, and with the Panthers adding Tetairoa McMillan in the NFL Draft, some felt that Young was finally ready to take a big step forward in his third season.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. Credit: Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Instead, Young has thrown for 1,390 yards, 11 touchdowns and six picks while completing 61.1 percent of his passes and posting an 81.5 passer rating. To be quite frank, he looked significantly better over the last couple of months of last year.
Carolina will have a decision to make on Young's fifth-year option after the 2025 campaign concludes, and at this point, the Panthers may be better off not exercising it.
The University of Alabama product has shown little to no progression from his rookie season. The mental mistakes are still there, and his throwing accuracy has been miserable.
And while Young can move, he isn't quite athletic enough to compensate for his lack of passing acumen. He isn't Lamar Jackson.
It might still be too early to throw in the towel on Young entirely, but typically, a quarterback shows who they really are by their third season, and when it comes to Young, the verdict seems pretty clear.
The Panthers have been winning thanks to Rico Dowdle and the strength of their defense, which was the worst statistical unit of all-time last season. They are winning in spite of Young, and that's something they absolutely have to consider once they head into the offseason.
Carolina has been a feel-good story thus far in 2025, but we can't lose sight of the forest for the trees. Young dose not seem like the answer, and until the Panthers find one, they aren't going to be able to genuinely move forward into legitimate Super Bowl contention.