Bryce Young’s return to Philadelphia comes with a different kind of weight this time.
A season ago, the Panthers quarterback nearly authored the kind of comeback that can change a young player’s trajectory. In a Dec. 8, 2024 game at Lincoln Financial Field, Young slipped away from pressure near his own end zone, kept the play alive and found rookie receiver Xavier Legette for a 31-yard gain. With 37 seconds left, Carolina had a real chance to steal the game.
It ended one snap later. Young’s fourth-down throw to Adam Thielen was broken up by cornerback Darius Slay, and the Eagles held on for a 22-16 win.
That result fit the moment for both teams. Philadelphia was rolling toward a Super Bowl title, while Carolina was still buried in the long rebuild that followed drafting Young No. 1 overall. The Panthers had lost 25 of their first 30 games since picking him.
Even in defeat, Young went toe-to-toe with Jalen Hurts.
Now the setup is much different. Hurts will miss Sunday’s game because of a blood clot, leaving Tanner McKee to start for the Eagles.
Saquon Barkley, the three-time Pro Bowl running back, also will not be out there. Philadelphia is coming off back-to-back crushing losses and enters Week 6 at 2-3.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are 2-2 and sitting atop the NFC South.
Carolina coach Dave Canales thinks that trip to Philadelphia from last season matters for Young.
"Knowing what it feels like to go into Philly .... and playing really well in that game ... is special," Canales said after Friday's practice. "We were so close to getting down there and really pushing the game."
Young’s form has been a major storyline early this season. Coming out of the bye, he leads the league with 317 passing yards per game across his first four starts. The Panthers are seeing the kind of production that has started to generate early MVP buzz around him.
He’ll also have a healthier group around him on Sunday. Wide receiver Jalen Coker is expected to dress after missing the previous game with an ankle injury, and Canales said his return adds another layer to the offense.
That matters because Carolina has spread the ball around all season. Tetairoa McMillan, Coker, Chuba Hubbard and Darren Waller each have two receiving touchdowns in a game this season, which is a league high.
"That's the hope, you know, for Bryce to continue to find the opportunities for guys," Canales said. "While we try to feature T-Mac, we try to feature different guys. All of the other routes have to come alive for us.
"It's good to get Coker back out there this week and that'll be another good element for us there."
The matchup also gives Carolina a real chance to attack a vulnerable defense. The Eagles rank No. 26 in average passing yards allowed at 238.8 per game, and the Panthers may find themselves in a favorable spot against an opponent missing key names.
Canales, though, wants no part of the idea that Carolina can drift into this game expecting the Eagles to roll over.
"Yeah, we can't make it about the Eagles," Canales said. "We know what they're doing schematically.
We're assuming they're not going to show up and just have a completely different gameplan. I wouldn't do that.
I put myself in Nick Sirianni's seat. We've been here before where we've had injuries; we've had different things happen to us.
"We're counting on the Eagles being who they are."
For the Panthers, the bigger question is whether Young has taken enough of a step to turn last year’s near-miss into something more meaningful this time around.
In Other News...
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Jalen Hurts health became the center of an ugly and unnecessary debate this week after an NFL Network analyst floated the idea that the Eagles quarterback could be using a blood clot to dodge blame for the teams offensive struggles. Michael Robinson later acknowledged he is not a medical expert, but his remarks still minimized the seriousness of a condition that has kept Hurts status in the spotlight and added another layer of noise around a season already under a microscope.
The reaction was swift, with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III publicly pushing back and stressing that this is not the kind of issue that should be handled casually. For Philadelphia, the episode was another reminder of how quickly concerns about Hurts can spill beyond the field, especially when the conversation turns from football to health and the line between criticism and irresponsibility starts to blur. [Read more 🡒]