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Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young
After a rough first few years with the Carolina Panthers, quarterback Bryce Young took a huge leap in 2025. As a result, the quarterback has been named to the NFL’s Top 100 list.
“The latest accolade came Tuesday, when the Panthers quarterback came in at No. 98 in the NFL Top 100. It’s not exactly winning the Heisman Trophy or being chosen first overall in the draft, but it is an acknowledgment of the way the arrow is pointing here,” Darin Gantt wrote in a Carolina Panthers article.
Young has always been a great competitor, and it took him a while to find his stride in the NFL. After a stellar 2025 season, he led the Carolina Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Bryce Young’s Humbled Response to Getting Better
In a typical Bryce Young answer, the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback is just looking forward to putting in more work.
“I mean, I’m grateful for it, but I can’t let that be a motivating factor for me,” Young said in the Carolina Panthers article. “I think in sports, just in life, there’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs. I can’t control stuff like that, so I think for me, even if it is positive at the time, I can’t flip-flop.
“I just focus on the work here. You know, that’s all that matters.”
Though Young’s 2025 was great, the 2026 season may be his biggest year yet. He will be clearly playing with a sense of urgency.
It’s easy to understand Bryce Young’s sense of urgency since he is entering a contract year. His rookie deal, signed in 2023, is a four‑year, $37.96 million contract with a $24.6 million signing bonus, giving him a 2028 free agent status, according to Spotrac.
Considering that the Panthers are an up-and-coming team, they know what they have in Bryce Young. He showed last year he is more than capable of being the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers for years to come. However, they have to protect him.
Carolina selected offensive tackle Monroe Freeling out of the University of Georgia.
Bryce Young Has to Be Protected
Though Young had a good year, the Panthers offensive line struggled throughout the season.
“The Panthers’ offensive line had issues in 2025, ranking 23rd in pass block win rate, 28th in run block win rate, and 29th in pressure rate allowed. That made offensive line one of the Panthers’ biggest need. Freeling, 21, isn’t the most experienced player — 18 starts — but he was a second-team All-SEC selection and gave up only seven pressures at left tackle last season.” An ESPN article says.
Despite not being protected as well, Bryce Young showed a lot of maturity last year specifically during crunch time.
“Six of the eight wins last year came with him leading game-winning drives. That was tied for second-most in the NFL last season,” Darin Gantt said in the Carolina Panthers article. “He’s had 12 of them since he entered the league in 2023, the most among all quarterbacks over that span. It’s the second-most of any quarterback under the age of 25 since 2000. He also led the league in fourth-down passer rating (156.3)”
DeonTay Smith is a journalist who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens. A graduate from Methodist University, Smith also covers local news for the Panama City News Herald and hosts his own YouTube podcast. More about DeonTay Smith