Panthers QB Bryce Young and Caleb Williams Will Forever Be Linked

Bryce Young and Caleb Williams entered the NFL a year apart, play in different divisions and took completely different paths to becoming the faces of their franchises. None of that will stop their careers from being compared.

Young was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. One year later, Williams went No. 1 to Chicago with a pick that originally belonged to Carolina — one of the biggest pieces of the blockbuster trade the Panthers made to move up and select Young.

That connection means the two quarterbacks will probably never completely escape each other. Every big season, playoff run and setback will give fans another reason to revisit the trade and ask the same question: Did Carolina make the right decision?

The Trade That Connected Them

Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) with the ball as guard Damien Lewis (68) and offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) block in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The connection between Young and Williams started before Williams ever played a snap in the NFL. When Carolina decided it was time to find its franchise quarterback in 2023, the Panthers made the aggressive move to trade with Chicago for the No. 1 overall pick.

The Panthers gave up DJ Moore, the No. 9 and No. 61 picks in 2023, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick. Carolina used the No. 1 pick on Young, but nobody knew at the time just how valuable that future first-round pick would become.

After the Panthers finished 2-15, that pick became No. 1 overall in 2024. Chicago used it to select Williams.

The pressure for Young to succeed was already going to be huge considering what Carolina gave up to get him. The Panthers didn't just give up draft picks; they also traded their No. 1 receiver in Moore. Once Williams became the quarterback Chicago selected with Carolina's pick, the link between the two was unavoidable.

Neither quarterback asked for this comparison. Carolina wasn't choosing between Young and Williams in 2023 because Williams wasn't even in that draft. That probably won't matter when people look back at the trade. The success of one will almost always be used to judge the other.

Their Careers Started Very Differently

The situations these two walked into couldn't have been much different. Young was looked at as the centerpiece of a Carolina team trying to find its way back into contention.

Williams arrived in Chicago with a team that had already started adding weapons around him. Moore was already there, and the Bears selected Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick in the same draft in which they took Williams.

Young's career got off to a rocky start. He was sacked 62 times as a rookie while throwing for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The Panthers also went through coaching changes and finished the season 2-15.

Williams had struggles of his own. He was sacked 68 times during his rookie season, but still threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only six interceptions.

Both quarterbacks have made progress since those rookie seasons. Young threw for a career-high 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns last season while completing 63.6% of his passes. More importantly, he helped Carolina get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Williams also took a big step in his second season, throwing for a Bears-record 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns. Chicago finished 11-6, won the NFC North, and picked up a playoff win.

Their careers haven't followed the same path, but both are starting to show why their teams took them No. 1 overall.

Every Success Will Restart the Debate

Every time one of these quarterbacks succeeds, the other will be brought into the conversation. The same thing will happen every time one of them struggles.

Young made a big jump last season, and if he continues to improve and Carolina keeps winning, Panthers fans will have more reasons to defend the trade. However, if Williams becomes one of the top quarterbacks in the league and Chicago keeps making playoff runs, the criticism of Carolina will only get louder.

That's what makes the comparison unfair. Williams isn't responsible for what Carolina gave Chicago, and Young didn't decide what the Panthers were willing to give up for him. They are two quarterbacks trying to win games and build their own careers.

But the trade is always going to be there. When Williams has a big season, people are going to bring up Young. When Young succeeds, Panthers fans are going to bring up Williams. Fair or not, that's probably going to follow both of them for a long time.

The Panthers Don't Need Bryce to Beat Caleb

This is where I think people can make too much out of who “won” the trade. If Williams becomes a superstar, some people will automatically say Carolina lost. If Young becomes the better quarterback, Panthers fans will say the move was worth it. I don't think it has to be that simple.

Carolina made the trade because it believed Young could be its franchise quarterback. If he continues improving, gets Carolina back into the playoffs, and gives the Panthers stability at quarterback for years, then they got what they were looking for. Williams can have plenty of success in Chicago at the same time.

Of course, if Williams becomes one of the NFL's best quarterbacks and Young never gets Carolina where it wants to go, then the criticism will be fair. The Panthers gave up a lot to get Young, and that will always be part of the conversation.

But Young doesn't have to beat Williams in every statistical category or have the better career for this trade to work out for Carolina. He needs to become the quarterback the Panthers believed they were getting when they traded up to No. 1.

That's what should matter most to Carolina. Young and Williams may always be linked because of the trade, but one doesn't have to fail for the other to succeed.

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