A silver lining to the Carolina Panthers rough preseason?
The Carolina Panthers chose quarterback Bryce Young with the first pick in April. He hasn’t gotten much help in the team’s first two preseason games.
The team hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2017. The Carolina Panthers have posted five straight losing seasons and owned a combined 29-53 record over that span.
There’s a new head coach in Frank Reich. General manager Scott Fitterer traded with the Chicago Bears for the first overall pick and in April selected University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. This offseason, he added free-agent weapons such as wide receivers D.J. Chark and Adam Thielen, tight end Hayden Hurst and running back Miles Sanders.
It has been a rough preseason for Reich’s team to date. In a 27-0 loss to the Jets, Young played three offensive series. He completed four of his six throws for 21 yards and was sacked once.
On Friday evening at MetLife Stadium, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner played the club’s first two series. He finished 3-of-6 for 35 yards and led the Panthers to a field goal via a 15-play, 62-yard march on the second series. Young was sacked once and also took a hit from Giants’ defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence that resulted in a roughing-the-passer penalty.
Carolina’s offensive line hasn’t done Young many favors, but the rookie signal-caller has drawn praise from his head coach.
“I thought Bryce looked sharp,” explained Reich (via ESPN’s David Newton). “Put together a nice drive. Would have liked to have finished if off (with a touchdown). Obviously, unhappy with the number of penalties we had. But I thought Bryce looked sharp. I think he wanted to throw the ball more…
“He was comfortable and poised in the pocket and seeing what he was supposed to see,” added Reich.
Center Bradley Bozeman sang Young’s praises a bit as well during an interview. “He’s cool, calm and collective.”
The Panthers have gone through numerous starting quarterbacks in recent years. The team is hoping they have found a consistent leader. Obviously, Young has shown plenty of promise in that regard so far. Now it’s just a matter of playing time.