Bryce Young’s rookie season was more challenging than anyone anticipated, but it turns out much of the blame may not rest on his shoulders.
Despite his struggles, which were evident throughout the season, Young’s difficulties were not entirely his fault. From the start, the Carolina Panthers made it tough for him, frequently altering the offensive scheme.
“We changed the offense three times in the offseason,” a source close to Young’s situation shared with ESPN’s David Newton. “That’s not beneficial for anyone, especially not for a rookie quarterback. The philosophical alignment just wasn’t always there.”
These constant adjustments led to an inconsistent season, with Young recording 11 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and 2,877 passing yards over 16 games. He completed just 59.8 percent of his passes and endured a record-breaking number of sacks.
Young ended the season with a 2-14 record in games he started, and the Panthers finished 2-15 overall.
“It’s tough to evaluate [Young] considering some of the things that happened during the offseason and leading up to training camp,” a source told Newton. “Those issues didn’t give Bryce the best chance to be ready and prepared for the season.”
In response to Young’s difficult rookie year, the Panthers overhauled the offense. Carolina bolstered the offensive line with the addition of Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. In the receiving corps, they brought in Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette.
Now, the pressure is on Young to fulfill the potential he showed at the University of Alabama.
“I’ve seen enough good stuff from Bryce to know what he needs is support,” said tight end Jordan Matthews via the Panthers’ official website. “From the receivers to the o-line, to the running backs, protection, pass game, and even in the media, we’ve got to support that young man. He’s got a lot on his shoulders, but he’s a winner.
“You don’t just wake up one day and win a Heisman. I talk about it all the time—when you see someone at the top of a mountain, they didn’t just get dropped off there. They climbed it.”
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