Analyst points to 'stagnant' design for Carolina Panthers' passing game

There's no denying that when Bryce Young is at his best he's a special quarterback. Young has torched the league's top scoring defense and it's No. 1 passing defense over the last month and has put in strong halves against Dallas, Miami and Arizona.

However, the overall production for this Carolina Panthers passing attack has been disappointing to say the least, and Young has failed to top 200 yards in all but three starts this season.

So, who's to blame?

Earlier this week The Athletic's Panthers insider Joe Person and film analyst Ted Nguyen teamed up for an in-depth breakdown of Carolina's passing game issues. Young's physical limitations are definitely part of the problem. However, they also point to a lack of reliable weapons outside of Tetairoa McMillan and some stale route design from head coach Dave Canales.

"McMillan is an excellent route runner for a bigger receiver but the rest of the receiving corps has struggled to create separation. The design of the passing game is stagnant with a lot of stop-and-sit type of routes."

Dave canales — Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks to the official in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

This mirrors our eye-ball test. In at least half of the Panthers' games this year the gameplan has been too conservative, too predictable or too vanilla to be effective, putting Young in a bad spot before the ball is even snapped.

Canales has had strong play-calling games to be sure. The second game against Atlanta in particular stands out, but it also raises questions why he can't be more aggressive on a consistent basis.

Combined with Young's own issues when interior pass protection breaks down and his general lack of size and athleticism, this puts a tremendous strain on the Panthers' offense. If their run game isn't working, they're effectively left with Young and McMillan playing backyard ball on their own - a dynamic that can work, but only so far without other contributors chipping in.

Whatever else happens the rest of this season, getting Young more receiving weapons to make up for the loss of Adam Thielen and the continued disappointment of Xavier Legette has to be high on the team's priority list going into the offseason.

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