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Panthers’ QB Bryce Young Receives Surprising Respect From NFL Peers

The starting quarterback for the defending NFC South champions continues to make strides. Bryce Young’s slow but steady improvement has not gone unnoticed.
Russell Baxter|
Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts in the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Starting this past Monday, there’s been the release of the NFL Top 100 for the 2026 season in countdown mode. It began with Saints’ DE Cameron Jordan (No. 100), followed by Colts’ veteran guard Quenton Nelson (No. 99). The next selection may be somewhat of a shock to some.

In 2023, the Carolina Panthers made University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner comes off his third season, and helped lead the franchise to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and first division title since 2015.

Panthers’ QB Bryce Young makes his debut on the NFL Top 100

Now he’s a member of the NFL Top 100 for the first time in his brief career, positioned at No. 98. Young comes off his best season to date, hitting on 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns (along with 15 turnovers) in 16 outings.

He has come a long way from his debut campaign in which he hit on just 59.8 percent of his throws for 2,877 yards, was sacked 62 times and finished with more turnover (16) than TD passes (11).

Bryce Young and Dave Canales
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Add in the fact that then-new head coach Dave Canales benched him after a pair of forgettable outings the first two weeks of 2014 and his appearance on the list shows the progress he’s made. So much so that Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan and the organization picked up his fifth-year option, although it remains to be seen if they are going to extend Young anytime soon.

Bryce Young has come a long way since his rookie year in 2023

“Carolina won the NFC South crown,” explained NFL.com’s Grant Gordon, “keyed by a massive upset in the regular season against the Rams before a heartbreaking three-point wild-card loss to L.A. In his second season under head coach Dave Canales, Young established career bests in passing yards, touchdowns, success percentage (44.2) and yards per game (188.2). He's also earning the respect of his NFL brethren, as exemplified by his NFL Top 100 debut.”

So where does Young go from here? There’s obviously still some work to be done on his game. Consistency has been the issue for the 24-year-old signal-caller. His numbers in the second half of games dwarf those in the first half, and he must do a better job of avoiding miscues in the first two quarters.

The Panthers haven’t finished with a winning season since 2017, and haven’t won a postseason contest since routing the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFC Championship Game. All signs point to more improvement for Young, who is finally getting a little attention from his NFL brethren.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.

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