In 2023, the Carolina Panthers made a bold move, trading up with the Chicago Bears to secure the No. 1 overall pick. Their need was clear: a quarterback. They needed a leader, and they found one in Alabama QB Bryce Young.

Many thought C.J. Stroud, who went No. 2 overall to the Houston Texans, would end up in Carolina. Obviously, that didn’t happen, which led sports analysts, spectators, and social media critics to focus on Bryce’s size to ‘support’ the “Panthers made the wrong decision” comments. It didn’t get better, as his rookie year wasn’t what the organization had hoped for.

Although Bryce struggled, the quarterback had a lot of untapped potential and just needed time to adjust to the game on a professional level.

Bryce Young’s challenging rookie year prepared him for later success.

In his rookie year, Young and the Panthers went 2-14 (he missed one game with an ankle injury), and he had 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. There were calls for the organization to look for another quarterback or bench Bryce, which happened in his sophomore year. Two games into the season, the Panthers benched the young starter in favor of veteran QB Andy Dalton.

Apparently, this change took Bryce by surprise, but instead of reacting negatively (which does not seem like his character at all), he took it to the chin and focused on being better.

His return to the starting lineup in Week 8, following Dalton’s injury, became the turning point. Since then, he has made significant progress, and I have no doubt it’ll continue.

Game-winning drives and a stronger confidence

Before the 2025 season started, Bryce told ESPN that he was ready to grow and build. While some people were still stuck on previous games, Young said (at the end of last season), “…we’re starting next year 0-0, and it doesn’t carry over. We understand that we have to build off of that stuff; we’re not just entitled to it.”

If you’ve watched any of the Panthers’ games this season so far, you can see his confidence has improved drastically. Although he has 4 INTs so far, Young isn’t scared to throw the ball in traffic.

Week 5’s game against the Dolphins saw Young lead a game-winning drive, while Week 6 against the Cowboys saw him garner three touchdowns and only one interception. He’s determined to get better, and the support from his teammates and coaches also contributes to this new version of the quarterback. Although there’s always room for improvement, he’s finally finding his groove.

Give athletes a chance to improve

It takes time to adjust to the NFL. When college players get drafted, they’re playing against future Hall of Famers. Let’s give them time to become the players we know they can be.