With no shot at the playoffs and no first-round pick to look forward to in April, the best the Panthers can hope for is signs that Bryce Young is improving as a quarterback in the final weeks of a disappointing season.
Young showed some of those signs against the Packers on Sunday. Young posted a season-high 312 passing yards while leading a pair of fourth quarter touchdown drives that allowed the Panthers to tie the Packers 30-30. Green Bay ultimately won with a field goal in the final minute of play, but the performance came on the heels of his game-winning drive against the Falcons in Week 15 and it was celebrated by others on the team after the game.
Interim head coach Chris Tabor said Young was in “complete control” and wideout Adam Thielen said it was a stepping stone toward even better days.
“Man, impressive,” Thielen said, via the team’s website. “Really the stuff that I saw and a lot of us saw in OTAs, training camp. Just that confidence, that kind of attitude. And then, you collectively make some plays for him, and watch out, he’s got the hot hand, as we say. So, obviously super impressive and excited to build on that.”
Thielen’s fellow wideout DJ Chark was also impressed and said “three, four or five years from now, he’s gonna be definitely at the top, if not one of the top QBs” in the league. It remains to be seen if Chark’s prediction is on the money, but any game that leaves that impression is a welcome development after plenty of rough sledding for the rookie.