Bryce Young's Stunning Turnaround Just Reached a Level Nobody Expected

PFF just named Young its second-team All-Pro quarterback through four games. Considering where his Panthers career was headed not long ago, that's almost hard to believe.

Oct 4, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass in the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All-Pro?

Yeah, I wasn't ready for that one.

I've spent most of the last few weeks trying to figure out exactly how far I'm willing to go with Bryce Young. The MVP chants against Detroit were fun, and I've already said I'm done acting like every good game needs to come with a “let's see him do it again.”

Then I saw PFF's first-quarter All-Pro team. Young is the second-team quarterback, with only Lamar Jackson ahead of him.

I had to think about that for a minute because it really wasn't that long ago that Young was getting benched for Andy Dalton. He spent time running the scout team, and there were plenty of people wondering if Carolina had completely blown the No. 1 pick.

Now we're talking about him as one of the best quarterbacks in football.

I Wasn't Sure I Bought It at First

My first thought when I saw the PFF list was whether we're getting a little carried away. Young just threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit, the Panthers got a huge win, and everybody is feeling pretty good about where this thing is going.

Apparently, PFF isn't looking at it as just one big night, either. In its latest quarterback rankings, PFF called Young's game against Detroit a “scintillating outing” that capped what it described as an outstanding four-game start.

So I went back and looked at what he's actually done, and I don't know. PFF might have a point.

Young has thrown for 1,268 yards and nine touchdowns. He's second among qualified quarterbacks in passing yards and third in touchdown passes, so it's not like one huge game is making his numbers look better than they really are.

Young also has an 88.6 overall PFF grade, which ranks second among 33 qualified quarterbacks. PFF has also credited him with eight big-time throws and only one turnover-worthy play.

That's probably the number I keep coming back to. We've seen Young make some throws this season that I don't think he was making consistently before, but he also hasn't been putting the ball in danger very often.

Now, I'm not forgetting Cleveland. That interception at the end was unfortunate, and it helped kill Carolina's chance to win. I'm not going to pretend it didn't happen just because everything around Young feels good right now.

But I'm also not going to let one throw while his arm is being hit erase everything else he's done.

Maybe We Don't Need the Qualifier Every Week

Oct 4, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end DJ Wonnum (98) tackles Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns against Chicago. Then it was 287 yards and three touchdowns against Atlanta, 291 against Cleveland, and 329 against Detroit.

That's at least 287 passing yards in every game.

Four games aren't enough for me to say Young is going to be an All-Pro when the season ends. There's way too much football left, and we've already seen how quickly things can change with this team.

I just don't know how much more we can ask from him right now.

That's probably where I've changed the most on Young. Earlier this season, I kept wanting to see the next game before I bought into what was happening. He'd play well, and I'd immediately start wondering whether he could do it again.

Well, he's done it again. And then he did it again after that.

Maybe it doesn't last. Maybe we get to November, and this PFF All-Pro team looks completely different. That's the risk of doing something like this after only four games.

The question is whether Young has played like an All-Pro quarterback so far, and after looking at the numbers, I don't think PFF's choice is nearly as crazy as I thought it was when I first saw it.

Two years ago, we were wondering if Carolina had drafted the wrong quarterback. A few weeks ago, we were wondering whether Young was finally breaking out.

Now we're debating whether he's an All-Pro.

I definitely didn't have that one on my Panthers bingo card.