Bryce Young Tops Even Josh Allen in Awe-Inspiring Stat Amid Scorching Start

Gone are the days of Bryce Young's QB statistics being low on the list of quarterbacks. The Carolina Panthers quarterback is off to a blistering start this year, ranking second in yards, third in average, first in touchdowns, sixth in QBR, and sixth in passer rating.

The advanced analytics are good, too. He's seventh in EPA/play, sixth in total EPA, 10th in average depth of target, and even 12th in rush EPA. He has been flat-out outstanding. Finally, it's all coming together.

One thing that's been there from the very beginning, though, was his proficiency throwing the ball deep. Some questioned whether or not that was impacted by a small sample size, but that's obviously not the case anymore.

Because in 2026, the Panthers are throwing it deep often and Young is doing it better than literally everyone else in football.

Panthers QB Bryce Young has the best deep ball in the NFL

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates after the game against the Atlanta Falcons | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not all quarterbacks are made equally, and they all ahve different strengths and weaknesses that make them good at the sport. Having a good deep throw, however, is a big strength to have, as it allows players to attack the defense and move the ball better.

Bryce Young, through two games, has the best deep ball in the NFL. He's outperforming Josh Allen by a hair for that crown, but he's also up there in company with Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawrence, and Jalen Hurts. The kind of company a former number one overall pick expects to be in.

Those Baby Arm Bryce allegations aren’t aging too well pic.twitter.com/V5oMxOHaa0
— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) September 21, 2026

The graph above is a perfect illustrator. Young is throwing it deep more often than almost all quarterbacks. Only Drew Lock, Joe Burrow, Carzon Wentz, and Brock Purdy are doing it as much or more. But with that, Young is also highly efficient.

He has the fourth-best EPA per pass attempt on deep throws, trailing only Lawrence, Jackson, and Malik Willis by a fraction. So, he's combining elite efficiency with high volume, giving him the best of both worlds.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) throws a pass during the third quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Young is in the most important season of his career, and he is off to about as perfect a start as one can imagine. The deep throw is why. He's been good otherwise, but his ability to take the top off the defense and strike seemingly at will for chunk plays is outstanding.

Credit Brad Idzik for unlocking this part of the offense for him, but Young has taken it and run with it.

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