Bryce Young is heading into the season with a new voice calling the offense, a bigger workload on his shoulders and an NFL analyst still not sold on him.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report put the Carolina Panthers quarterback in the “flawed quarterback” bucket while ranking the Panthers No. 22 in his Week 1 NFL power rankings.
That backdrop makes the change on the sideline even more interesting. Brad Idzik will handle offensive play-calling for Carolina this season. He has served as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator for the past few seasons, but 2026 will be the first year he actually calls the plays.
Young, who has a close relationship with Idzik, has already made clear he’s comfortable with the shift.
"He's definitely been aggressive, which is huge for us," Young said about Idzik and his ability to guide the QB and the game, via ESPN. "That's a part of the offense we can build upon and we can expand in.
We have the guys -- I have all the faith in the world in our guys out there. So giving them opportunities down the field; try to be more explosive, more dynamic."
Panthers head coach Dave Canales handled play-calling duties in 2024 and 2025 before turning that responsibility over to Idzik after last season.
Young’s 2025 numbers show why Carolina is betting on more growth. He threw for 3,011 yards with 23 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, while also adding 216 rushing yards and two rushing scores. The Panthers made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.
Now the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft enters the year with 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Panthers uniform. His record as a starter sits at 14-30-0.
Idzik said the process of building the offense with Young has been a detailed one.
"As a quarterback, you gotta get comfortable with the words yourself and where all the bones are buried on plays," Idzik said. "And then from there, he does a great job of recommending things that fit what we're trying to do as a whole."
Young, for his part, sounded just as invested in the partnership.
"We've been doing so much work behind the scenes," Young said. "So since Day 1, since right when he got hired and first gave me a call from that first conversation till now, it's been great being able to work with him. I feel like we have great chemistry and a great working relationship, so I'm excited for it to continue to grow."
There’s also a financial layer hanging over the season. Young is set to make $12.1 million this year in the fourth season of his rookie contract, and his fifth-year option is worth a guaranteed $25.9 million.
Carolina is not expected to work out an extension with him before the 2026 season, which puts even more pressure on Young to deliver again if he wants to get paid next offseason.
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