The Carolina Panthers have spent too much of the Bryce Young era digging out of holes, and that’s why the first month of 2026 could matter so much.
Young’s early stretches have been uneven from the start. His first five NFL games in 2023 all ended in losses, and only one of those starts really hinted at why he went No. 1 overall.
The 2024 opener brought two rough outings so poor that Dave Canales had to bench him. Young did settle in after returning midseason and closed that year on an upswing, but last season brought another sluggish beginning.
In losses to Jacksonville and Arizona, he turned the ball over five times - three interceptions and two fumbles - and didn’t really find his rhythm until the fourth quarter against the Cardinals.
That history is why Mike Kaye of ESPN says Young’s start in 2026 may help define whether the Panthers can turn last season’s playoff trip into something more.
Kaye wrote: “This season is a success if ... Young gets off to a hot start. The Panthers made the playoffs last season at 8-9, but a plus-.500 record is necessary to further establish the program under coach Dave Canales.”
The schedule gives Carolina a real chance to get rolling. Chicago comes to town in Week 1, and the Bears finished 22nd against the pass in 2025.
Then it’s a trip to Atlanta, where Young has been at his best against any opponent. He owns a 4-1 record against the Falcons and posted a franchise-best 448 passing yards in a meeting last year.
The next stop is Cleveland, and that one looks a lot tougher. The Browns had the third-best passing defense in the league in 2025, and even without two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, they still bring plenty of quality on that side of the ball. That makes it the first real test for Young and the Carolina offense.
Before the Panthers’ early Week 5 bye, they’ll also face Detroit, a team whose secondary may be among the most undermanned in football.
Canales has gone 2-6 over his first four weeks across two seasons in Carolina, so a better opening month would go a long way toward changing the tone. For Young, that’s the assignment: start fast, and give the Panthers a chance to finally build on something instead of chasing the season from behind.
In Other News...
Bryce Young Trade Still Haunts The Panthers For One Reason
The 2023 deal that sent the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina is still one of the defining moves of the Bryce Young era, because it did not just land the Panthers their quarterback, it set Chicago up with the kind of draft capital that can reshape a roster for years. The Bears turned those picks into a wave of players, including Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Tory Taylor, Tyrique Stevenson and Luther Burden, giving the trade a footprint that keeps growing well beyond draft weekend.
For Carolina, the lingering sting is not only about Youngs early progress, but about how much the other side has already gotten from the transaction. Chicagos haul has produced more immediate depth and impact, while the Panthers are still waiting for the move to fully justify itself on their end. Even so, this is the kind of trade that can look different a year from now if Young keeps developing and Carolina starts cashing in on the quarterback it paid so dearly to land. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Secondary Could Get Even Scarier With This Early Projection
A new 2027 NFL mock draft from Bleacher Reports Scouting Department has already put the Panthers in a familiar place: eyeing the secondary. The projection has Carolina taking Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore with the No. 7 overall pick, a move that would add a technically polished defender with the size and football IQ to fit alongside what the Panthers are trying to build on that side of the ball.
It is only an early projection, of course, but it speaks to how the Panthers could keep leaning into defense if the roster trends hold. Moore is the kind of cornerback evaluators tend to pair with a strong existing group, and that is what makes this idea interesting for Carolina - not just whether he would be a fit, but how much scarier the secondary could look if the front office ever decides to spend premium draft capital there. [Read more 🡒]
Darren Waller Is Giving Panthers Fans A Reason To Dream Again
Darren Waller has spent this offseason taking a different approach to his conditioning, and it has given the Panthers something worth watching as camp unfolds. After a stretch in which his availability and effectiveness have been the real questions, the tight end has come into Carolina with a focus that has shown up both physically and mentally, according to coach Dave Canales.
Canales praised what he has seen from Waller during camp, and for a team looking for any reason to feel better about its passing game, that matters. The Panthers are still piecing together plenty of the offense around him, but Wallers work has at least added a layer of intrigue to a roster that has spent too long searching for steady playmakers. [Read more 🡒]