Panthers QB Bryce Young tries to take step forward
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- August 18, 2025
Bryce Young looks for consistency
HOUSTON – For Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, every snap carries the weight of a decorated college career. Before starting his NFL journey, the Heisman Trophy winner starred at the University of Alabama, where he delivered a memorable run.
In 2021, he became the first quarterback in Alabama’s rich program history to win the Heisman Trophy. Young finished his junior year with a Sugar Bowl victory over Kansas State before declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Panthers selected the Mexican American quarterback first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now he’s slowly trying to regain the dominance he showed in the Southeastern Conference.
As Young enters his third NFL season, the Panthers are looking to see growth in his game. The preseason offers an early glimpse. Young and his teammates spent the second week of the preseason in Houston doing joint practices with the Texans.
“I just love Bryce to just continue to be a consistent leader for his team,” Carolina coach Dave Canales said. “Operating the systems. He’s been on time. He’s been making our practices come alive really and allowing us to dig deeper into the playbook.”
They capped Week 2 with a preseason game on Saturday at NRG Stadium. The 2025 preseason started with a series of early struggles. He played only two series, which is normal for NFL starters this early.
Slow start
In the first series, the 5-foot-10, 204-pounder went deep for intended receiver Xavier Legette. He was picked off by Texans’ Pro Bowler cornerback Derek Stingley. The interception was wiped out, though, by a holding call on Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who was Young’s teammate at Alabama.
Young then threw two more incomplete passes to wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Ja’Tavion Sanders on second and third down. In the second series, Young scrambled for two yards and was brought down by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Two plays later, Young was sacked for an eight-yard loss by defensive tackle Mario Edwards.
“Just want to be more efficient in everything we do,” Bryce Young said. “That’s something that coach (Canales) stresses. Obviously, you want to make the right decision.
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“Then, our QB coach does a great job of saying, ‘Make the next right decision.’ You’re not always gonna make the first perfect one, but myself, the unit, everyone as a team, we want to be efficient as an operation. And I think that that’s something we’re all pushing each other for.“
Young, who completed 234 passes for 2,403 yards in 2024, was 0-for-2 on pass attempts Saturday. He also ran for two yards. It was a disappointing performance for the third-year quarterback. He understands the bigger picture behind the call.
“Obviously, for us ones, you want a different result,” Young said after the 20-3 loss against the Texans. “It sucks, you know? That’s preseason football. Get that sample size. You want it to go well early and get it done fast.
Mixed feelings
“We didn’t get that done today. So, of course, we’re going to watch the film tomorrow and grow from that. Coach (Canales) has a plan. He does everything for a reason. So there’s a process with all of the preseason stuff. We’ll grow and learn.”
Canales expressed mixed feelings about his team’s performance against the Texans. He commended the Panthers’ physical efforts while calling for sharper execution.
“I feel great about our conditioning level, and I feel great about the physicality of the play,” Canales said. “I don’t feel good about our execution of the basics because it’s not showing up consistently for us.
“There’s flashes. I’m excited about our guys. I’m excited about our people, but that’s where leadership comes in. When are we going to take those steps to count on each other and to be able to make those plays when they’re available?”
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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