Bryce Young’s play speaking loud, clear for the Panthers  

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Quarterback Bryce Young is 2-2 as a starter since returning to the Carolina Panthers starting lineup and showing more leadership in the process.

Bryce Young is not known as a vocal, in-your-face leader.

When the Carolina Panthers’ second-year quarterback does talk, it’s generally coach-speak, bland, say-little-as-possible comments while expressing everything they want on the subject.  Young spoke up Sunday, initially during the Panthers’ 30-27 loss to NFL standard-bearer Kansas City, then a closed-door locker room speech to teammates and coaches.  

A few players, like running back Chuba Hubbard and receiver Adam Thielen declined to address the specifics of Young’s message moments after Chiefs kicker Spencer Shrader hit a 31-yard field goal as time expired, but expressed the sentiments connected.  

Cornerback Jaycee Horn summarized Young’s oration.

“Bryce said it after the game,” Horn said. “This is not a fluke where we just played toe-to-toe on the best team in the league. We really believe that's who our team is."  

Horn endured a rough outing Sunday – he was called for four pass interference/holding penalties – but felt the passion in Young’s postgame address.  

"I knew that was in him, you know, he's a dog,” Horn said. “Don't let the quiet talk fool y'all. Bryce is a real dog. And he came out after the game when he talked to the team, and that's what we need."

Young speaks up, makes voice heard 

What the rebuilding Panthers (3-8) need is a signature victory over a playoff-contending franchise, like the Chiefs (10-1), who have won the last two Super Bowls.  

Young completed 21-of-35 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs’ top five-ranked defense. He also guided the Panthers to a five-play, 49-yard game-tying drive, capped by Hubbard’s 1-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion with 1:46 remaining. Young recovered from wide receiver Xavier Legette dropping a well-placed long pass down the sideline to keep the rally going. Legette said during Monday’s video conference the drop bothered him so much that he texted an apology to Young Sunday night.  

“It didn’t get much better than that,” Legette said of Young’s pass.  

Until Young’s post-game speech, which energized Legette even when he recounted what he heard.  

“He changed his voice and all,” Legette said. “That lit a fire in the whole organization.”  

Young produced his second-best game statistically – eclipsed only by a career-best 312 yards during a Week 16 loss to Green Bay Packers last season – but it possibly was his best all-around performance as a pro.    
Since returning from a Week 3 benching – Young threw for a combined 245 yards and three interceptions in his first two starts – the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick displayed greater command of the offense since regaining the starting role four games ago. The Panthers, who host NFC South rival Tampa Bay on Sunday, are 2-2 during that span.  
"Like I said, he's a great leader,” Hubbard said. "I don't really count the times that he's talked ... I'm going to keep what was said in-house, but he definitely said the right things heading into that last game-tying drive." 

Mahomes: ‘(Young) played his tail off’  

Young’s lack of production under pressure led to many of his early-career struggles. When blitzed as a rookie, Young completed just 38% of his pass attempts. He also had only one touchdown pass and five interceptions when the pocket broke down, which was often. He was sacked 62 times last season.  

Against Kansas City, however, Young completed 11-of-14 passes for 123 yards and a 1-yard touchdown pass to David Moore when blitzed. He finished with a season-best 92.9 passer rating.  

Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, was impressed with Young, who became just the third quarterback this season to produce at least 25 points against the Chiefs.  

“I thought he played his tail off,” Mahomes said. “It’s been cool to see him bounce back the last few weeks and play some great football. He gave us a scare.”  

Following his locker room speech, Young made his way to the podium for media availability. He didn’t smile much. Didn’t sound inspiring, as usual. But he conveyed everything he wanted, focusing mostly on his teammates and, of course, “the system.”  

"I'm leaning on my teammates," Young said. "I think it's not just me at all. I think we've all kind of come into our own within the system.  

"I just have to control what I can control as far as embracing the system. At the end of the day, we lost. We didn't do enough to get it done. That stings with everyone in the locker room."  

So much so, Young decided it was time to speak up. Like his play the past four starts.  

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