NFL insider says quiet part out loud about Panthers QB Bryce Young

Bryce Young had a sobering outing on Sunday.

Nov 2, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Maybe Bryce Young will bounce back and play like he was before the ankle injury, making this rough stretch look like a brief aberration in year three. Maybe he won't, and it will look like his good stretch from earlier this season was the aberration.

For now, because we have no evidence that this level of play has anything to do with the Carolina Panthers QB's banged-up ankle, we have to assume it's the latter. At least, that's what one NFL insider is doing. He believes the loss in Week 10 paints a realistic picture of Young.

Insider says Bryce Young isn't the guy for the Panthers

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The vibes were very high in Carolina after Week 9, and that was in spite of a bad outing by Bryce Young. The wind and the opposing defense were brutal, though, so one could ignore how bad the outing was. That wasn't the case in Week 10, as the one-win Saints walked all over Carolina.

"The reason why is one that's becoming very uncomfortable in Charlotte: Bryce Young ain't the guy," Bleacher Report's Marcus Davenport wrote. "The quarterback threw for just 124 yards with an interception in Sunday's loss. It was the third straight game in which he failed to hit 150 passing yards, and the third-year pro has one 200-yard passing game all season."

It has been rough for the Panthers lately, and Young hasn't done a single thing to fix that on offense. They probably beat Green Bay in spite of him, and they lost to New Orleans because of him. That doesn't totally undo the good play he exhibited before that, but one of them is an anomaly.

"Passing on Young's fifth-year option in 2026 isn't going to be a great look for Carolina after what the team gave up to move up to draft him," the insider continued. "However, with each passing performance he puts up, that decision becomes easier to make."

The Panthers are built as a run-heavy team, and they had arguably the hottest offensive player in the NFL in Rico Dowdle, so the lack of passing yards in wins isn't really a huge sticking point, but there's no getting around the back-to-back awful performances, and Davenport believes that's who Young is.

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