Bryce Young

Panthers QB Bryce Young To Return In Week 4

September 29th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 29: Reich confirmed on Friday, via Newton, that Young will indeed be back in action this Sunday. His return will give him the chance to rebound from a pair of underwhelming performances to begin his career, and get the Panthers into the win column for the first time in 2023.

SEPTEMBER 27: Two of the three rookies given starting roles right away in 2023 – Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson – missed Week 3 due to injuries. Both appear to be on track to limit their absences to a single game.

Young was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, signaling he should be available for Sunday’s contest against the Vikings. His ankle injury required Andy Dalton to start last week, but such a move will not be necessary as long as the No. 1 pick’s recovery proceeds as scheduled. More work is still to be done on that front, of course, but today’s news is an encouraging sign.

“The big thing right now is to see how he responds [Thursday],” head coach Frank Reich said, via ESPN’s David Newton. “Just have to make sure there’s no major setbacks, no flare-ups. But if he stays on track, then I think things are headed in the right direction.”

Originally given a one-to-two week recovery timeline, it comes as little surprise that Young has a strong chance to suit up after only missing one contest. Dalton threw for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Panthers’ loss to the Seahawks, a game which dropped them to 0-3. In doing so, the veteran showcased a continued ability to produce as a spot-starter, something he has done with four teams in as many years since his Bengals tenure ended. Dalton guided Carolina to a more notable performance in the passing game than the team’s two contests with Young under center.

The latter has repeatedly been tapped as the starter when available, though, so he will be in the lineup as soon as possible. To that point, Reich added that the Panthers are prepared to play Young at less than 100% – a noteworthy stance given the Alabama product’s long-term importance to the franchise. Young was the target of the team’s trade-up to the first overall selection, and as such he has been entrusted with providing much-needed stability at the QB spot. Risking further injury so early in his career would need to be weighed against the possibility of dropping to 0-4 on the season.

The same holds true of the Vikings, making Sunday’s matchup one of importance for both teams involved. Presuming all goes well in the coming days, each squad will have their No. 1 quarterback available on Sunday.

Panthers To Start Andy Dalton In Week 3

September 22nd, 2023 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 22: Head coach Frank Reich confirmed on Friday that Young (who was again sidelined for practice) will indeed be incactive on Sunday, meaning Dalton will see his first action since joining the Panthers. Reich added, via Joe Person of The Athletic, that Young is facing a recovery timeline of one to two weeks. That could put him in line to return in Week 4, though the Panthers will no doubt proceed with plenty of caution before green-lighting him to take the field again.

SEPTEMBER 21: The ankle injury Bryce Young sustained is on track to keep him out of the Panthers’ Week 3 contest against the Seahawks. The No. 1 overall pick is expected to sit Sunday, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com writes. This puts Andy Dalton in line to start.

Young suffered the injury at some point during the first half of the Panthers’ Monday-night loss to the Saints. He has picked up two DNPs this week. While a return Friday would reopen the door to Young suiting up, the Panthers not rushing their prized investment makes more sense.

Carolina added Dalton in free agency, signing the veteran between the time it acquired the No. 1 overall pick and made the Young choice, and gave him the most guaranteed money among backup options this year. Dalton’s two-year, $10MM deal contains $8MM fully guaranteed. This contract dwarfs what Dalton made with the Saints — for whom he started 14 games — last season, highlighting the priority the Panthers gave to staffing their backup job.

One of the NFL’s most experienced players, Dalton has made 162 starts over the course of his 13-year career. Despite entering the 2020 and 2022 seasons in backup roles, Dalton logged 25 combined starts with the Cowboys and Saints. Dak Prescott sustained a season-ending ankle injury in 2020, while Jameis Winston initially exited New Orleans’ lineup due to injury but never received another chance to unseat Dalton after healing up. This is Dalton’s fifth team in five years, having made his way from Cincinnati to Dallas to Chicago to New Orleans to Charlotte.

Last season, Dalton averaged 7.6 yards per attempt — his highest mark since 2015 — and finished with his top passer rating since that ’15 Bengals slate as well. This came during a Saints season in which Michael Thomas played three games and Jarvis Landry battled injuries as well. Dalton, 35, threw 18 touchdown passes and nine interceptions during his Saints one-off. The team pivoted to a much bigger QB investment — Derek Carr — before the market opened in March. The Saints are not believed to have entered talks about re-signing Dalton, who played out a one-year, $3.5MM contract.

Young is off to a slow start, though given the makeup of Carolina’s offense, that should have been expected. The Panthers traded their No. 1 wide receiver (D.J. Moore) to obtain the top pick and played Week 2 without both starting guards. Brady Christensen is out for the season, and Austin Corbett resides on the Panthers’ reserve/PUP list. Through two games, Young’s QBR ranks 27th. The Panthers obviously are looking at their 5-foot-10 passer through a long-term lens, and it looks like he will some additional time to heal his ankle before resuming his first NFL season.

QB injuries have become commonplace for the Panthers, who have not seen their starter make it through a full season since Cam Newton did so in 2017. Newton’s shoulder and foot trouble led to his Charlotte exit. Sam Darnold battled injuries in both his Panthers seasons, and Baker Mayfield‘s low-quality showing featured an injury-driven interruption. Teddy Bridgewater did play 15 games in 2020, though Matt Rhule quickly backtracked on that contract and dealt him to the Broncos the following year.

Seahawks Sign Round 1 CB Devon Witherspoon, Wrap Draft Class Deals

July 28th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

This rookie class did produce a negotiation that led to a high-profile draftee missing part of training camp, but the Seahawks are ending that brief chapter Friday. No. 5 overall pick Devon Witherspoon agreed to terms with the team on his four-year rookie deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

With Witherspoon under contract on a deal worth $31.86MM fully guaranteed and containing a fifth-year option, all 2023 draftees are now signed. The payment schedule of the cornerback’s $20.2MM signing bonus served as the final hurdle for the sides to clear, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.

The three quarterbacks drafted ahead of Witherspoon — Bryce Young (No. 1), C.J. Stroud (No. 2) and Anthony Richardson (No. 4) — received 100% of their bonuses paid up front, per Henderson, who adds Will Anderson Jr. received 85% of his bonus upfront (Twitter link). Last year’s Seahawks first-rounder — No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross — received 75% of his signing bonus paid in the first six weeks, Henderson tweets, providing a glimpse into how the Seahawks prefer to structure their first-rounders’ deals.

With this minor issue in the rearview mirror, the Seahawks can get to work on deploying their top pick. The team deviated from a long-running strategy of not using high draft choices on corners. Under the Pete Carroll–John Schneider regime, Seattle had not used a first- or second-round pick on this position. Other than Richard Sherman‘s 2014 extension, the team had also generally avoided big payments here as well. Despite Carroll believed to be on board with a high-risk Jalen Carter bet, the Seahawks chose the Illinois corner, whom the Lions were eyeing at No. 6.

A four-year contributor for the Fighting Illini, Witherspoon showed off his defensive ability in 2021 when he finished with nine pass breakups. He replicated that success with 14 PBUs (in addition to three interceptions and 41 tackles) this past year. The 5-foot-11 corner parlayed that success into becoming this year’s first corner chosen. The Seahawks, who moved into the Witherspoon draft slot via their 2022 Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos, will pair the rookie with 2022 rookie standout Tariq Woolen.

Here is Seattle’s 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 5 (from Broncos): Devon Witherspoon, CB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 1, No. 20: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 37 (from Broncos): Derick Hall, DE (Auburn) (signed)
Round 2, No. 52: Zach Charbonnet, RB (UCLA) (signed)
Round 4, No. 108 (from Broncos): Anthony Bradford, G (LSU) (signed)
Round 4, No. 123: Cameron Young, DT (Mississippi State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 151 (from Steelers): Mike Morris, DE (Michigan) (signed)
Round 5, No. 154: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C (Michigan) (signed)
Round 6, No. 198: Jerrick Reed II, S (New Mexico) (signed)
Round 7, No. 237: Kenny McIntosh, RB (Georgia) (signed)

Panthers Name Bryce Young Starting QB

July 26th, 2023 at 12:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not that there was too much drama surrounding the Panthers’ plans at quarterback, but no Andy Dalton-led buildup period will occur involving the No. 1 overall pick.

Frank Reich confirmed Wednesday that Bryce Young is the team’s No. 1 QB. A 14-game Saints starter last season, Dalton can be viewed as one of the league’s top backups. The offseason Panther pickup said recently he still views himself as a starter-caliber QB. Barring something unforeseen, however, the 13th-year veteran will be backing up Young.

“When we decided to pick Bryce we imagined and saw the vision that we’d be standing here today saying he’s QB1,” Reich said, via ESPN’s David Newton.

Shortly after making a deal to acquire the No. 1 overall pick from the Bears, the Panthers signed Dalton to a two-year, $10MM deal. That contract included $8MM guaranteed, a considerable insurance payment weeks ahead of the Young investment. The Panthers had not completely settled on Young at that point, but the team had been leaning that way. The 5-foot-10 Alabama prospect became the pick, and although Dalton took first-team reps to start the team’s offseason program, the journeyman passer will begin his mentorship role.

This differs from the Bears’ plan in 2021. Chicago named Dalton its starter upon signing him that March, keeping Justin Fields on the sideline to begin his career. Dalton made six starts that year but rebounded to overtake Jameis Winston in New Orleans in 2022. He received a guarantee in line with the high-end QB2-type free agents this offseason, illustrating the Panthers’ hope to fortify a position that has been one of the league’s biggest trouble spots since Cam Newton‘s injuries accelerated a decline.

While C.J. Stroud should be expected to start early in his Texans tenure and Anthony Richardson should see extended time for the Colts this season, neither has been named a starter just yet. Young will lead the way on this front. Dominating as a two-year Crimson Tide starter, Young earned the natural scrutiny that comes with being a 5-10 passer. But the Panthers did not view Young’s frame as enough of a concern to take Stroud or Richardson first overall. The team dispensing with any QB competition talk, unlike the 2021 Jaguars with No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, illustrates the early confidence in Young.

Panthers To Sign No. 1 Pick Bryce Young, Complete Draft Class Deals

July 21st, 2023 at 4:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

With training camps just around the corner, several teams continue to wrap up deals with their rookies before the weekend. That includes the first NFL deal being finalized for this year’s top pick.

Quarterback Bryce Young agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract, per a team announcement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the deal will be signed soon, setting him up for $41.22MM fully guaranteed. Young will receive nearly $27MM up front via a signing bonus.

The timing of bonus payments is often the cause for delay on first-round rookie contracts, and entering today four of the players selected in the top five – including all three quarterbacks – had yet to sign their deals. Young will become the first to so, officially kicking off a rookie campaign in which he will be expected to establish himself as the franchise’s signal-caller of the present and the long-term future.

The Alabama product was in the running to hear his name called first overall throughout the 2022 college season. After winning the Heisman the previous year, he delivered another strong campaign with the Crimson Tide, posting 3,328 passing yards and a 32:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those totals helped him finish sixth in voting for college football’s top prize.

When the Panthers pulled off their historic trade with the Bears for the No. 1 selection, Young was not in a class of his own in terms of favorites to be selected. Carolina gave thought to both Young and eventual second overall pick C.J. Stroud in the build-up to the draft, while new head coach Frank Reich was thought to be high on Anthony Richardson. The latter – who boasted the most athletic upside, but faced serious questions about his passing potential at the pro level – went fourth to the Colts.

Young began the offseason behind Andy Dalton on Carolina’s QB depth chart, after the veteran signed a two-year deal knowing the Panthers would select a passer with their top pick. The pecking order was formally reversed last month, though, leaving Young in place to lead the team ahead of a 2023 season in which improvement from the Matt Rhule era is expected. The 6-0, 194-pounder will face questions about his size as he transitions to the NFL game and takes charge of an offense which has plenty of new faces on offense in particular.

Here is the full breakdown of the Panthers’ draft class:

Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)

Latest On Panthers’ QB Situation

June 10th, 2023 at 6:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Few developments during OTAs have long-term effects for teams, given the voluntary and non-contact nature of the spring practices. In Carolina, though, an expected change on the team’s quarterback depth chart recently took place.

The Panthers moved Bryce Young to the top of the QB pecking order during practice earlier this week, as detailed by Joe Person and Larry Holder of The Athletic (subscription required). The 2023 first overall pick took full first-team reps for the first time this offseason, having previously split them with veteran Andy Dalton. As confirmed by by both head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer, this switch was had been planned in advance and communicated to both signal-callers.

The move comes after the Panthers had taken a cautious approach with Young to begin his first NFL offseason, one in which he is widely expected to be confirmed as the team’s No. 1 for the season. The Alabama product was the target of the team’s trade-up to the top selection, and is thus in their plans as a franchise passer for the long-term future. To no surprise, though, Reich declined to use the depth chart promotion as a reason to declare Young the 2023 starter.

“Not yet,” Reich said when asked about a timeline on that front. “He’s showing everything you want to see. But this goes back to even the draft decision – you don’t make a decision until you have to make it. We’re just giving him and our team the opportunity to get better and to earn that starting role.”

Dalton, 35, signed with the Panthers on a two-year deal in March, continuing his moves around the league after the end of his Bengals tenure. The three-time Pro Bowler had one-year stints in Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans where he was brought in to serve as a backup, though he logged 29 starts over that span. After staying ahead of Jameis Winston on the Saints’ depth chart last season, Dalton confirmed his belief that he could handle QB1 duties in a different situation.

“I definitely think that I’m still one of the 32 [best] guys out there,” the former second-rounder said, via ESPN’s David Newton. “But I know that’s not the position I’m in. My whole goal is to kind of be the example and… not necessarily set the standard but show how it’s supposed to be done.”

Dalton posted a 6-8 record as a starter in New Orleans, tossing 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 66.7% of his passes. Those totals helped keep the Saints in playoff contention deep into the season, though they elected to retain Winston and add Derek Carr this offseason. Dalton could still be a trusted backup for Carolina, especially compared to third-stringer Matt Corral, who missed his entire rookie year in 2022 due to injury.

The Panthers face numerous questions heading into 2023, given the myriad changes which have taken place on and off the field and the sidelines, and the resultant expectations for improvement on offense. Young will no doubt be a focal point for attention in that regard, and his process toward being the starter has taken an important step. His progression through the rest of the offseason will remain a storyline to follow in Charlotte.

Latest On QB Bryce Young, Panthers’ Offense

May 27th, 2023 at 3:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers traded up and drafted Alabama’s Bryce Young No. 1 overall with the intention that he would be the team’s new starter at quarterback. Yet during organized team activities, head coach Frank Reich had presumed backup Andy Dalton running with the starters. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, this isn’t necessarily indicative of the true depth chart but more a practice in efficiency.

Of course, as a coach, you prefer not to hand Young the starting job on a silver platter. You’d rather he “earn” the job by performing better than the other quarterbacks on the depth chart. But expecting a rookie to be better prepared for an entirely new system, when veterans have mostly been at the facilities for five weeks now, is unrealistic.

As a head coach new to his team, Reich is intent on establishing his operation at an optimal, functional level. This early into Young’s tenure, he’s just not prepared enough to run the Panthers’ system to the level that Dalton can. Does this mean that Dalton would forever run with the first string? Likely, not. But until Young is up to speed and ready to efficiently run with the ones, having Dalton behind center has been the best way to implement Reich’s operation. In fact, a week after Breer’s report, David Newton of ESPN reported that, while Dalton is still taking the first snaps with the first team, Young is getting more overall snaps with the first string, indicating the progress that we expect from the top overall draft pick.

The system that’s being implemented is designed for Young, anyway. According to a different report from Newton, Reich is allowing new, first-time NFL offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to design a spread-formation system that meshes some of what Brown learned under Sean McVay in Los Angeles and what Reich ran with the Colts. Brown is building the offense with Young in mind, claiming that he doesn’t want to take away Young’s “superpower.”

Lastly, with Dalton and Young likely cemented in the first two slots of the depth chart, there were rumblings that last year’s third-round pick, Matt Corral, was on the trading block, and perhaps that he wanted to go. The most recent reports from this week, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt, indicate that Corral no longer desires an exit. Corral “made it clear (to the media that) he doesn’t want to be traded,” listing playing for Reich as a major reason for staying.

Panthers Did Not Receive Viable Offer For No. 1 Pick

May 11th, 2023 at 10:23am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Panthers may not have been locked in on their choice at No. 1 overall upon acquiring the pick from the Bears ahead of free agency, they zeroed in on Bryce Young and will give him the keys soon. It does not sound like any team made a strong offer to bring Panthers brass into a meeting about altering this path.

The Panthers did not receive an aggressive offer to move out of the No. 1 spot, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. While trading a bounty for the Bears’ top pick and then moving back down would have been a strange maneuver, the Panthers were linked to multiple other quarterbacks during the pre-draft process.

A move back may have hinged on the Texans’ desire to secure Young’s rights. Houston was believed to have placed a value gap between Young and the field, and the league consensus tabbed the AFC South as preferring Young in this class. The Texans engaged in fairly serious talks with the Bears about moving from No. 2 to No. 1, a process that would have seen the Bears drop from 1 to 9 and the Panthers vault from 9 to 2. Once Bears-Texans talks stalled, the Panthers pounced and moved up to the top spot.

Climbing one position does not cost considerable capital, but a jump from No. 2 to No. 1 probably would have for the Texans, who ended up with C.J. Stroud. Pre-draft smoke pegged the Texans as Stroud skeptics, and the Panthers may or may not have had the Ohio State quarterback third among this class’ QBs. The Panthers made their Young decision well before draft day, but the Colts believed Carolina’s last call regarding this pick was a Young-or-Anthony Richardson choice, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com notes.

Another pre-draft report indicated the Panthers’ call was between Young and Stroud; the latter also loomed as the betting favorite to go first weeks before the draft. But Richardson performed well during the Panthers’ interview process, Fowler adds, and may indeed have been the team’s second choice. The Panthers did not bring Frank Reich into this process until late, but the former Colts HC was believed to be high on the raw Florida prospect. While Young will attempt to solve the Panthers’ post-Cam Newton QB problem, Richardson joins Stroud and Will Levis as rookies in the AFC South.

The Raiders explored a move up to No. 1 from their No. 7 position, but Fowler adds they did not pursue this after the Panthers acquired the pick. Las Vegas’ talks with Chicago lend to an interesting alternate reality, as the AFC West team’s plan shifted to hoping Stroud and Richardson went off the board before their pick. That left the Raiders with one of their top four non-QBs, with the selection becoming Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson.

As the NFL does not have a lottery, the Texans obviously could have avoided this outcome by losing their Week 18 game to the Colts. The visitors converted a fourth-and-20 heave for a touchdown and then tacked on a game-winning two-point conversion to defeat Indy in Jeff Saturday‘s finale. But Lovie Smith‘s Houston walk-off moved the Texans to the No. 2 slot. That sequence may go down as one of the better NFL what-ifs in recent memory. Once the Texans bowed out of the Bears’ multi-trade concept, the Panthers do not appear to have seriously considered giving up their newfound draft real estate.

Draft Notes: Young, Chiefs, Saints, Addison, Vikings, Patriots, Campbell, Lions

April 28th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Panthers brass joined other front offices in being wowed by Bryce Young during his 2021 Heisman-winning season, and the team had mostly decided on the Alabama prospect by the time Frank Reich arrived. David Tepper and Panthers scouts had zeroed in on Young — prior to making the trade with the Bears — and Reich learned of the staff’s preference early during his tenure.

“And it was unanimous with every guy in that room, starting from [GM] Scott [Fitterer] on down, that Bryce was the guy. That was great for me to hear,” Reich said of an early-February meeting, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required). “But what I appreciate about the way Scott handled it, he was like, ‘Frank, you take your time.’ … And it wasn’t much convincing.”

Fitterer said he sought Reich’s final stance late in the process. It would have been interesting had Reich, who was initially mentioned as preferring a taller passer, stood his ground for another prospect. He was believed to also be intrigued by Anthony Richardson. But the veteran HC will be coaching a 5-foot-10 quarterback in Carolina.

Here is the latest from the draft, as we head into Day 2:

The Vikings closed the record-breaking run on wide receivers at No. 23, selecting Jordan Addison, the fourth straight receiver taken from Nos. 20-23. But Minnesota received interest in the pick. The Chiefs and Saints contacted the Vikings about moving up to 23, per KTSP’s Darren Wolfson, who adds the belief is at least one of the teams eyeing a trade-up would have taken the USC wide receiver (Twitter link). The Vikings appear to have received an offer, but they instead chose Addison. The Chiefs were mentioned as a team pursuing a move up the board, and the defending Super Bowl champions — after J.J. Smith -Schuster and Mecole Hardman‘s exits — had done a lot of work on this year’s wideout class. The Saints have not re-signed Jarvis Landry and have not seen much of a healthy Michael Thomas since the 2010s. Both teams will probably be on the hunt for receivers tonight.
It is not surprising to see Patriots first-round trade-downs, and the team allowing the Steelers to leapfrog the Jets for tackle Broderick Jones likely made the move doubly intriguing for Bill Belichick. But the Pats turned in their draft card quickly at No. 17, selecting cornerback Christian Gonzalez. New England was high enough on the Oregon product it was close to finalizing a trade-up move from No. 14, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. The Commanders had been in on corners, but they chose Mississippi State ballhawk Emmanuel Forbes over Gonzalez at No. 16.
While the Patriots have been praised for nabbing a high-end prospect a bit later than he was expected to go, the Lions bucked pre-draft rankings by taking a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) at No. 12 and an off-ball linebacker (Jack Campbell) at 18. Campbell, in particular, was not viewed as especially likely to be a first-round pick, and GM Brad Holmes admitted he probably could have nabbed the Iowa defender if he had traded down once again. “It’s not about just don’t pick a running back [in Round 1] because that’s not how we really view [Gibbs],” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “And then it’s the same thing about don’t pick an off-ball linebacker. That’s not really how we view Jack. If you put them in boxes and you put on a sheet of paper and you run mock draft analytics, yeah, you can come up with those stats. But all the hours and research and all the time that we put in, in terms of looking at these players, it becomes very, very visible that what kind of impact they can bring.”

Panthers Select Bryce Young First Overall

April 27th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, the Panthers have selected quarterback Bryce Young first overall. The Alabama alum was long thought to be the favorite for Carolina, after they pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire the top spot in the order last month.

Young won the Heisman in 2021 as part of a highly productive two-year stretch as the starter for the Crimson Tide. That span included 8,200 passing yards and 79 touchdown passes, along with only 12 interceptions. Young established himself as a dynamic passer with an ability to produce ‘off-script’ plays, making him one of the most highly-touted prospects at any position in this year’s class.

However, his size (5-10, 204 pounds) represents a cause for concern for evaluators. Young’s frame will lead to questions about his ability to handle the physicality of the pro game, a factor which initially drove many to think Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud would be the Panthers’ preference. As of three weeks ago, however, signs pointed to Young being the favorite to hear his name called first.

It was reported on Tuesday that Carolina’s decision-makers (including GM Scott Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich) had reached a consensus on the pick. Now, their attention can officially turn towards the rest of their draft capital (which includes four other picks in 2023, owing to the package they sent to the Bears to move up from ninth to first in the order). The team is coming off a 7-10 season, and has a number of other spots to fill out on the roster.

Young, meanwhile, will seek to end the Panthers’ post-Cam Newton woes under center. The team cycled through a number of free agent and trade acquisitions, and even a brief reunion with the former No. 1 pick himself, over the past several years. Now, it Young lives up to his potential, he will be in place as the franchise QB for many years to come.

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