Bryce Young’s Sunday in Philadelphia was defined by two very different moments: a big win for the Panthers and a brief pause that turned into a viral show of sportsmanship.
Late in the second quarter of Carolina’s Oct. 18 game against the Eagles, Young was in the middle of a play that resulted in a 19-yard completion when Philadelphia’s Nolan Smith went down after being blocked by Chuba Hubbard and Taylor Moton. Smith lay face down while medical staff checked on him, then got to his feet and walked off under his own power. He was later diagnosed with a concussion and did not return.
As Smith was being tended to, Young walked back toward him and stood nearby with his head bowed for several seconds. Broadcast cameras caught the moment, and the NFL on CBS later shared the clip on social media. The post drew nearly 40,000 likes on Instagram, making Young’s prayer one of the most-liked of more than 100 posts on the account Sunday.
The reaction came quickly from fans online.
“As an Eagles fan, I have major respect for Bryce,” one person commented. “What a great example of sportsmanship and love.”
“Eagles fan, but they could never make me hate bryce young seems like a genuinely good human being,” another wrote.
The moment wasn’t a one-off for Young. He has made a habit of praying for injured opponents while on the field, and this wasn’t even his first such scene in Philadelphia.
In 2024, during a previous game against the Eagles, Young stopped to pray for then-Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
This time, though, the trip to Philadelphia ended differently for Carolina.
Young threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 25-14 victory, while Hubbard added 120 rushing yards and a score. The win pushed Young into the sixth spot in the NFL in passing yards after the Eagles game, even with Carolina’s Week 5 bye still on the books, and he leads the league in yards per game.
The Panthers’ offense has kept rolling, too. Only the Chiefs are averaging more total yards per game, and only the Bills, Lions and 49ers are outscoring Carolina in 2026.
That fast start has also lifted Young into early MVP chatter. For the second straight game, “MVP” chants followed him, and this time they came on the road.
Carolina now turns to a home matchup against NFC South rival Tampa Bay on Sunday, Oct. 25. The Buccaneers could have starting quarterback Baker Mayfield back for the Week 7 game, and kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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