Bryce Young’s rise in Carolina has reached the kind of place that sounded impossible not long ago.
A few weeks ago, the conversation was still about whether he had truly turned the corner. Now PFF has pushed him all the way to second-team quarterback on its first-quarter All-Pro team, with only Lamar Jackson above him. That’s a major jump for a player who, not long ago, was benched for Andy Dalton and even spent time running the scout team while people wondered whether Carolina had completely blown the No. 1 pick.
The numbers behind the selection make it a lot easier to understand.
Young has thrown for 1,268 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranks second among qualified quarterbacks in passing yards and third in touchdown passes, so this isn’t a case of one monster outing disguising an ordinary start.
PFF has him at an 88.6 overall grade, which sits second among 33 qualified quarterbacks. The site has also credited him with eight big-time throws and only one turnover-worthy play.
That last part matters. Young has shown more of the type of throws that weren’t showing up consistently before, but he’s also kept the ball out of danger with real discipline.
The Cleveland interception at the end of that game still counts, though. It was unfortunate, and it hurt Carolina’s chances to win.
One hit on a throw doesn’t erase the rest of what he’s put on tape, but it also doesn’t disappear just because the bigger picture looks better now.
The stretch itself is hard to dismiss. Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns against Chicago, then followed with 287 yards and three touchdowns against Atlanta, 291 against Cleveland, and 329 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit. PFF described the Detroit performance as a “scintillating outing” and said it capped an outstanding four-game start.
That’s the part that changes the conversation. Four games is not nearly enough to declare Young an All-Pro when the season ends, and there’s still plenty of football left for this to look different by November. But after what he’s done over this stretch, the idea that he belongs in the league’s upper tier doesn’t feel nearly as wild as it once did.
Earlier this season, the instinct was to wait for the next game before buying in. He’d flash, and then the skepticism would come right back. Now he’s done it again, and then again after that.
Two years ago, the question was whether Carolina had picked the wrong quarterback. A few weeks ago, it was whether Young was finally breaking out. Now he’s being discussed like one of the best quarterbacks in football, and that was not exactly on the Panthers bingo card.
In Other News...
Panthers May Finally Have Their Defensive Centerpiece Again
Devin Lloyds latest outing against Atlanta gave Carolina exactly the kind of defensive spark this group has been missing. The Panthers linebacker was everywhere, piling up nine tackles, picking off two passes, breaking up three others and adding a sack, a performance that quickly pushed him into the center of the conversation around the defense.
Dave Canales and teammate Jaelan Phillips were quick to praise both Lloyds production and his leadership, and with good reason. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after becoming the first NFL linebacker since 1982 to hit that combination in one game, a reminder that Carolina may finally have its defensive centerpiece back in full view. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Is Finally Giving Panthers Fans A Reason To Believe
Bryce Youngs rise has given the Panthers something they have not had enough of in recent years: a quarterback trend worth watching for the right reasons. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick first flashed it in that playoff game against the Rams, and since then he has carried that momentum into a strong 2026 season under Dave Canales, with Carolinas offense looking more cohesive and more dangerous than it has in a while.
What makes it matter in Charlotte is not just the production, but the way it has come together around him. Young has navigated injuries to key teammates and still found ways to keep the offense moving, including a scheme built around run-pass options that seems to fit his game well. After four years of gradual improvement, the Panthers are finally in a place where their franchise quarterback is giving fans a real reason to believe, even if the larger picture is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Has Panthers Fans Asking How Real This NFC South Push Is
The win over Detroit gave Carolina something it has not had much of lately: a stretch of real, visible momentum. At 2-2, the Panthers head into the bye week atop the NFC South standings, and Bryce Youngs performance against the Lions was a big reason why. So was Tetairoa McMillans impact in the 32-26 victory, which looked less like a fluke and more like the kind of game that can change the tone around a team.
Still, the bigger question is how much of this early push is sustainable once the schedule tightens and the division games start to stack up. CBS Sports has Carolina in its probably about average tier, grouped with Atlanta and ahead of a Tampa Bay-New Orleans duo that sits lower right now, which feels like a fair snapshot of where things stand. The Panthers have earned the right to be part of the conversation, but the bye week also gives everyone a chance to ask whether this is the start of something real or just a brief opening in a wide-open NFC South. [Read more 🡒]