Is This the Year Bryce Young Leads Panthers Out of Slump? Just a Minute

The 2021 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is entering his third season in the NFL and could be poised for a breakout year.

Jul 23, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throw the ball during Panthers Training Camp. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring BamaCentral's Alabama beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers will group up to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral staff writer Hunter De Siver discusses a potential breakout season for former Alabama and current Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.

Last summer, NFL analysts were attending the Carolina Panthers' training camp and they were seeing a version of quarterback Bryce Young that they hadn't seen during his first year.

Things were looking up for the former Alabama standout after a 2-14 rookie campaign, but Young was benched after just two games last season.

He returned as the starter in Week 8, and as the season continued, he showed a ton of improvement. Young closed the season out in style with a 44-38 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons, where he completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns while adding two more scores on the ground.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won four consecutive NFC South division titles, and while they're expected to take it home once again, the rest of the division is wide open between the Atlanta Falcons (8-9 last season), Panthers (4-10) and New Orleans Saints (4-10).

The Panthers made a couple of moves this offseason to help Young in Year 3, including the eighth overall draft selection of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and the free agent signing of fellow wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Wednesday was the Panthers' opening day of training camp. Young spoke to the media after practice and there seems to be a large sense of camaraderie and team chemistry.

"I think all of us as a team, having a year last year and then going into this year of just buying into the culture, buying into coach's message, you know, buying into to everything that he presents to us on a day to day basis, we've already bought in and now it's just making it our own," Young said.

As for the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner himself, he's very excited to show what he can do to help the Panthers succeed this upcoming season.

"I'm super confident," Young said. "Again, that comes from just this building, being able to rely on my teammates, coaching staff, who're around me; that's really what I get my confidence from, and I'm grateful to be a part of the organization."

The Panthers finished 11-5 in 2017 but haven't had a positive record since. Is this the year that Young, the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, leads them out of their slump?

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