Tetairoa McMillan doesn’t need much time around Bryce Young to know when something has changed.
The Panthers receiver has been in the huddle with Young since day one, and two games into 2026, he says the quarterback looks like a different player than the one who spent previous seasons trying to find his footing. The biggest reason, McMillan says, is confidence - and a stronger trust in the people around him.
“A different level of confidence this year and is trusting his weapons more than ever,” McMillan said.
Young’s start has backed that up. He has thrown three touchdown passes in each of Carolina’s first two games, matching Jake Delhomme’s franchise mark for consecutive three-touchdown games to begin a season, according to the Panthers’ official site after Sunday’s 34-3 win in Atlanta.
That game was over fast. Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against the Falcons.
He connected with Chuba Hubbard on a three-yard score, then hit Darren Waller for touchdowns from seven yards out just before halftime and from 12 yards to open the second half. Xavier Legette’s 55-yard catch late in the second quarter helped set up one of those touchdowns.
Carolina’s defense added to the avalanche with multiple turnovers and an interception return for a touchdown, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium went quiet after the opening series.
McMillan was right in the middle of it, finishing with five catches for 101 yards. Through two games, he has 10 receptions for 176 yards.
The numbers around Young are hard to miss. After the Atlanta win, he stood at 648 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, one interception and a 113.3 rating through two games, per the NFL’s stat page. A week earlier, he went 23 of 37 for 361 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-37 loss to Chicago, and he also ran for a score.
What McMillan told Jordan Schultz lines up with what he told The Athletic the same week: Young’s belief in himself, the play-calling and the pass-catchers around him has taken a clear step forward. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik is now calling the plays, and Young is pushing the ball deeper, with his average air yards per attempt jumping as he attacks tighter windows instead of settling for the safe check-down.
That shift has shown up all over the field. McMillan, Legette and Waller have all been involved in the same series more than once, and Carolina has scored at least 30 points in each of its first two games - a first in franchise history.
McMillan’s own role is still taking shape in Year 2. Carolina selected him eighth overall in 2025, and he played all 17 games as a rookie, catching 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
Those numbers earned him AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a place on the PFWA All-Rookie Team while the Panthers finished 8-9 and won the NFC South. Through two games this season, his 17.6 yards per catch suggests the same kind of vertical threat he was last fall.
The next test comes Sunday in Cleveland, where the Panthers and Browns both enter at 1-1. Carolina’s trip will bring a Browns defense that just held Tampa Bay to 19 points, and Young’s willingness to challenge coverage will be part of the story. How often he looks McMillan’s way on third-and-medium may say plenty about the trust the receiver keeps talking about.
Young has never started a season this smoothly. His first three years were defined by slow openings, including a midseason benching in 2024.
Two games won’t settle anything for good. But they have given McMillan plenty of reason to keep saying his quarterback looks different.
In Other News...
Browns Crowd Drama Just Added Heat To Panthers Trip To Cleveland
The Panthers trip to Cleveland now comes with a little extra edge, even beyond the football itself. Deshaun Watson has been under heavy booing and criticism from Browns fans after the teams early-season struggles, and the noise has only grown louder around a home crowd that expected more than it has gotten so far. Coming off a Week 2 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken publicly praised Watsons effort, a small but notable show of support in a tense atmosphere.
Now Watson is hoping the mood inside Browns Stadium shifts when Carolina arrives. For the Panthers, it adds another wrinkle to a road game that was already going to draw attention, because the response to Watson could shape the temperature of the afternoon before the Panthers even settle in. Cleveland has been restless, and the next chapter of that frustration is set to unfold with Carolina in town. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defense Faces A New Concern After Breakthrough Win
The Panthers defense had its best showing of the young season in a win over Atlanta, allowing just three points and giving the unit a much-needed jolt of confidence. But the first practice of the week brought a familiar reminder that defensive success can come with a cost, as several key players were out of the session because of injuries.
Devin Lloyd was sidelined with a calf issue, while Jaelan Phillips, Nick Scott and Claudin Cherelus also sat out with back, ribs and shoulder injuries, respectively. Patrick Jones II and Bobby Brown III were back as full participants, which offered at least some good news, but Carolina will be watching closely to see how healthy its front and secondary look as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Face One Tough Trade Call With Crowded Tight End Room
The Panthers have built up an unusually crowded tight end room, and that kind of depth can turn into a decision point fast. Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, Darren Waller and Ja'Tavion Sanders are all in the mix, but Sanders has often been a healthy scratch, which says plenty about how little room there is for everyone to get on the field. For a team trying to balance roster value with on-field usage, it is the sort of surplus that can invite phone calls from other teams.
Los Angeles is one of the clubs that could make that conversation more interesting. The Chargers have been hit by injuries to key tight ends David Njoku and Charlie Kolar, and their lack of reliable blocking options at the position makes the need even more obvious. That has led to speculation that Carolina could listen on Mitchell Evans, or even explore a package deal involving Kimani Vidal, but the kind of move that fits both teams still depends on how aggressively the Chargers want to solve their tight end problem. [Read more 🡒]