1 Thing Bryce Young Does Even Better Than Cam Newton Did

Bryce Young is not Cam Newton. The Carolina Panthers QB could almost not be more dissimilar. He's a small quarterback whose size has prompted concerns in the past, whereas Newton's size was one of his biggest advantages.

As of now, Young is also not nearly as good as Newton. By the conclusion of year three, Newton had won 25 games, was a two-time Pro Bowl QB, and the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That said, there is one thing that Young has done better in his three seasons than Newton did in his first three: avoid the interception.

Bryce Young tops Cam Newton in interception percentage through three seasons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) reacts after throwing an interception | Jason Getz-Imagn Images

It's hard to envision Bryce Young ever becoming as good as Cam Newton was. Newton could be a Hall of Famer, and he was an MVP. Young is not on track for either of those accolades.

But whenever there's something Young does better or that Newton didn't do, it's noteworthy. Young had a 5-TD game (three passing and two rushing) in 2024 that Newton never did. Young owns the single-game passing record, too.

Young has also thrown a lower rate of interceptions than Newton did. In three seasons, Young has a 2.2% interception percentage, which is pretty solid. Newton's was also solid through three seasons, but he was at 2.8%.

Fewest Interception % by a Panther QB in their first 3 seasons per 100 attempts:

2.2% — Bryce Young
2.8% — Cam Newton
3.0% — Jimmy Clausen
3.1% — Kyle Allen
3.6% — Jake Delhomme

Bryce is starting to read defenses better. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/Eh7nzZG18V
— Panthers Muse (@musepanthers_) February 17, 2026

This is adjusted to consider the fact that Newton made all his starts in three years while Young spent some time on the bench. That could also be influencing the data, because Young had 622 fewer attempts during those years. You can't throw interceptions if you don't throw.

Context matters, and interceptions aren't always the worst thing in the world. It is flatly true that quarterbacks should not throw interceptions, but some players are so good that turnovers don't hurt.

Young has on occasion proven that he can overcome turnovers and turn his game around. There's a running gag about his "government-mandated turnover" before he can really play well.

For Newton, though, there was always a chance he would make a big play and easily overcome the negatives. Perhaps a better way to look at this debate is by TD: INT ratio. In the first three years, Newton's ratio was 64:42.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Young's is 49:30. Newton's ratio is obviously significantly better, and if we include all touchdowns and all turnovers, Newton's lead extends. The former MVP had 94 scores and 43 turnovers, while Young had 57 touchdowns and 33 turnovers.

Games played matters in that conversation, but it is clear that Newton was so much better. Nevertheless, it is a positive that, while Young doesn't have the highs Newton did, he takes better care of the ball when throwing it than Newton did.

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