Panthers HC Dave Canales said QB Bryce Young is going to be the team’s starter going forward, per Mike Kaye.
It’s both not a surprise after how well Young has played in recent weeks, including five touchdowns in a Week 18 win over the Falcons, and remarkable considering how bad Young looked to start the year before he was benched.
Canales was effusive in his praise of Young following the win in Week 18.
“I’d say we’d say it’s week to week but there are no more weeks,” Canales said via the Athletic’s Joe Person. “Bryce is our quarterback. I’m so proud of the way that he took the challenge and he just grew. Every week he took new lessons, new things, applied it to his game. Was engaged, challenging the guys, the whole thing.”
Canales says the Panthers feel like they have a quarterback they can build around.
“It’s huge. It’s a great feeling,” Canales said. “It allows us to look at the whole roster, to see what the investments need to be. It helps us to think about free agency and the draft with a lens knowing we got our guy. Now we can build this team with the right mentality and find the guys that can challenge our roster, which we plan on doing every year.”
In addition to Canales, it appears owner Dave Tepper, another critical figure in the organization, was impressed with Young.
“A real good win. I think we’ve got our QB here,” Tepper remarked to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
He signed a four-year, $41,217,000 contract that includes a $26,976,000 signing bonus and will carry a $7,494,000 cap figure for the 2023 season. The deal includes a fifth-year option for the 2027 season.
In 2024, Young appeared in 14 games for the Panthers, making 12 starts and completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,403 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 249 yards and six touchdowns.
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