Bryce Young is past the point of simply trying to prove he belongs. After a 2025 season that finally looked like the version of him Carolina drafted No. 1 overall, the Panthers quarterback is already talking like someone who understands the next step: keeping a changing roster pointed in the same direction.
That came through in his conversation this week with Mike Tomlin on Tomlin’s debut on NBC’s “Football Night in America.” Tomlin, making his own move after 19 years as the Steelers’ head coach, asked Young about the challenge of leading a team when the personnel around you keeps shifting. Young didn’t sugarcoat it.
“Yeah, I think every year you have to make sure you’re learning your new team,” Young told Tomlin. “I’m grateful to have a lot of guys that I’ve been around for a while now, have that rapport built in.
But year in, year out, you have to make sure you’re learning the new guys, the guys that are coming in. I’m comfortable with this, being in the building, with the franchise, with all that, and then continuing to push and be the leader that we need, and that changes every day.”
It’s a clean answer, and it fits the season Young just put together. In 2025, he topped 3,000 passing yards for the first time, finishing with 3,011.
He also set a career high with a 63.6% completion rate and threw 23 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. For a quarterback whose early career came with plenty of noise, it was the first year his production matched the expectations that followed him into the league.
The Panthers needed it, too. Carolina finished 8-9, won the NFC South, and got into the playoffs as a wild card for the first time since 2017. That sent them into a matchup with the Rams, the No. 5 seed after a 12-5 season built around Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua.
The game had enough twists to make Carolina think for a moment it might pull it off. The Panthers fell behind 14-0 early, fought back, and even grabbed a 31-27 lead in the closing minutes.
But Stafford answered with a touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left, and Carolina’s final drive went nowhere. The Rams escaped 34-31.
Young’s numbers in that game - 21 completions on 40 attempts for 250 yards, one touchdown and one interception - weren’t eye-popping. But the loss didn’t sit squarely on his shoulders.
The source material points to protection issues up front, including both starting tackles going down with injuries during the game, and a run game that produced just 83 yards on 22 carries. Young kept the Panthers alive in a game many expected to get away from them.
That’s why Tomlin’s question matters. The Panthers are moving into a season with expectations attached, and Young’s job is no longer just about flashing talent.
It’s about holding together a roster that changes every year and making sure the standard doesn’t change with it. His answer suggested he gets that part of the assignment.
Carolina has already made its bet on him. Now the question is whether Young can keep turning that belief into something sturdier, one season and one new locker room at a time.
In Other News...
Rams Camp Just Turned Up The Heat On Several Roster Battles
The Rams wrapped training camp at Loyola Marymount and are heading back to Woodland Hills with several roster questions still very much alive. What stood out over the past few weeks was how many younger players forced their way into the conversation, from backup quarterback work to receiver auditions and depth battles across the roster.
Stetson Bennett kept building momentum throughout camp and drew steady praise from the coaching staff, while CJ Daniels also made noise as a receiver prospect who looked ready to push for more. Beyond those two, Jarquez Hunter and Xavier Smith are still fighting to secure their place, and the secondary has its own group of hopefuls in Cam Lampkin and Forbes trying to turn camp flashes into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Could Still Add One More Weapon To This Passing Attack
Even with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams headlining the passing game, the Rams are still looking at ways to deepen the receiver room. The idea is less about finding another star and more about making sure the offense has enough reliable answers if injuries or matchups start to chip away at the top of the depth chart.
One name that fits that conversation is Kayshon Boutte, the Patriots wideout who is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and has emerged as a possible trade candidate. With Stefon Diggs off the board after signing with Washington, a move like that would give Los Angeles another proven target to consider, and it would be the kind of low-drama roster addition the Rams tend to weigh carefully this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Tight End Battle Could Create One Big Question For Stafford
The Rams entered camp with a tight end room that already looked deeper than it had in recent seasons, and that only got more interesting with veterans Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee at the front of the mix. Terrance Ferguson is expected to take a step forward in his second year, and the overall shape of the group gives the offense a lot of ways to line up and keep defenses guessing.
Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase has emphasized that the versatility in that room makes it hard to sort the depth chart into a simple pecking order, which could leave Matthew Stafford working with a rotation rather than a featured target at the position. Rookie Max Klare has also turned heads in camp, and if the Rams keep finding ways to mix and match their tight ends, the bigger question may be which look becomes the most reliable when the season starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]