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For virtually the entire offseason leading into the NFL Draft, former University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was the consensus #1 overall pick, which is ultimately the route the Carolina Panthers decided to go down despite some concerns about his size.
Now that Young is officially a member of the Panthers, though, the organization appears to be prepared to play the long game with him, as the general manager recently indicated that there is currently “no timeline” for Young to become the team’s starting quarterback.
“We’re going to rely on our coaches — Jim Caldwell, Frank Reich, Thomas Brown — to decide when it’s right,” Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said this week.
“We don’t have a timeline. We’re not saying, ‘Hey, this guy’s gonna start the first game or we’re not going to play him at all this year.’ When the time is right or we felt like he’s got enough of a mastery of the offense where he can go out and operate this and be successful, that’s when he’ll be out there.”
A Heisman trophy and National Championship-winning quarterback for Nick Saban’s University of Alabama Crimson Tide, Young’s best year in college came during the 2021 season, which saw him complete 67% of his passes for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
While Youg statistically regressed during the 2022 season — he completed 66% of his passes for 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions — his performance was still strong enough that he established himself as the #1 overall pick in the draft even before the Panthers acquired the pick from the Chicago Bears.
Given how wide open the NFC South appears to be next season — every single team in the division will be starting a new quarterback — Panthers fans will likely want to see Young in the starting line-up as soon as possible so the team can potentially contend for a playoff spot.