Bryce Young Just Revealed What's Really Changed for Him in Carolina

I've been trying to figure out what's different about Bryce Young this season. I know part of the answer is pretty simple. He's in his fourth year, he's gotten better, and we're finally starting to see some of the things Carolina thought it was getting when it drafted him No. 1 overall.

But I don't think that's all of it.

Young has thrown for 1,268 yards and nine touchdowns through four games, including 329 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit. As good as those numbers are, it's the way he's playing that has stood out to me. He looks comfortable, and I don't know how many times I could've said that during his first few years in Carolina.

Then I listened to Young's interview with Pat McAfee this week, and something he said about offensive coordinator Brad Idzik got my attention.

“He wants my input. He wants all of our input,” Young said.

The more Young talked about Idzik, the more I started wondering if we've been overlooking something pretty important.

Maybe This Is What Young Needed

brad idzik — Aug 24, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calls a play in the third quarter pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Idzik isn't some new coach who came in this year and changed everything. He's been around Young for three years and has already had a big hand in the offense behind the scenes. What's different now is that Dave Canales handed Idzik the play-calling duties.

I think that matters because of the way Young described their relationship. He said they spend the week talking about the game plan, what he likes, and what he feels comfortable with. If Young wants something added or doesn't like something they're working on, they talk about it before Sunday.

Maybe I'm making this too simple, but that sounds like a pretty good way to make your quarterback comfortable.

We've spent years talking about everything Young needed to do better. Get the ball out quicker. Be more aggressive. Handle pressure better. Push the ball downfield. Some of that was absolutely fair, especially for a quarterback Carolina took with the first pick in the draft.

But maybe the Panthers had some figuring out to do, too.

Young said before the season that he had “all the confidence in the world in Brad.” He also called Idzik a big reason for what the offense had already built. I probably wouldn't have thought much about those comments in August, because what else is a quarterback going to say about his offensive coordinator?

Four games into the season, I'm paying a little more attention to them.

“Just Give Me the Play”

This was the part of Young's interview that really got me.

McAfee asked how much information Young wants from his play-caller once he's on the field. I figured Young would talk about wanting as much information as possible before the headset cuts off, but his answer was about as simple as it gets.

“Just give me the play,” Young said.

At first, I kind of laughed at it. Then Young explained why, and it made a lot of sense.

He and Idzik have already talked through everything during the week. Young knows why certain plays are being called and what Idzik is looking for in different situations. Maybe it's third-and-1, and Carolina knows it could go for it on fourth down, or maybe they absolutely need to pick up the first down right there.

Young also talked about knowing when Idzik wants to speed things up or slow them down. Those aren't conversations you can have while the play clock is ticking, and that's where the work they do during the week comes in.

By the time Sunday gets here, Young doesn't need all of that explained again. Idzik gives him the play, and Young already knows what he's looking for.

I don't know if freedom is the right word for it. Trust probably makes more sense.

I'm Not Giving Idzik All the Credit

I'm definitely not saying Idzik took over the play-calling and magically fixed Young. That's not fair to Young, and I don't think it's really what we're seeing anyway.

Young deserves a lot of the credit for this. He's in Year 4 now, and he's been through more than most young quarterbacks have to deal with. There have been coaching changes, bad offensive line play, injuries around him, and even a benching along the way.

The rest of the offense matters, too. Tetairoa McMillan has given Young a legitimate weapon, Chuba Hubbard just ran for 122 yards against Detroit, and Carolina has somehow kept things together up front despite all the injuries. There isn't one thing you can point to and say that's why Young is playing better.

But I keep going back to what Young said about Idzik.

For most of his career, the conversation has been about what Young needed to change. What if Carolina finally figured out that it needed to listen to him a little more, too?

Maybe that's why Young looks so comfortable right now. He has a play-caller who wants to know what he likes, spends the week making sure they're seeing things the same way, and then doesn't try to overload him once the game starts.

I'm not giving Brad Idzik all the credit for what we're seeing from Bryce Young.

But I'm starting to think he deserves a whole lot more than we've been giving him.

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