The Carolina Panthers have been busy this offseason, and for good reason. After emerging from out of nowhere to win the NFC South division last year, the Panthers have high hopes for the 2026 campaign, even though there are still some question marks surrounding their quarterback, Bryce Young.
While he has been inconsistent early in his career, Young proved in 2025 that he is capable of leading Carolina to big wins when the team needs him to deliver the goods. The team appears to be all-in on Young, but it remains to be seen whether or not they actually should be. If you ask the Panthers’ former general manager, Marty Hurney, he has some strong thoughts on Young’s standing with Carolina.
Marty Hurney Dishes on Bryce Young
Carolina selected Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he struggled during his first two seasons in the pros. In fact, Young was so bad in 2024 that he got benched in favor of Andy Dalton, which seemingly threw his future with the Panthers up in the air. He eventually won the starting job back, though, setting the stage for a make-or-break 2025 campaign.
Young wasn’t perfect for the Panthers last year, but he turned in easily the best season of his young career when all was said and done (304/478, 3,011 YDS, 23 TD, 11 INT, 54 CAR, 216 YDS, 2 TD). His numbers aren’t going to jump off the page, but Young did what he needed to help Carolina win games last year.
After winning the division last year, the Panthers are going to expect to at least achieve a similar result in 2026. Whether or not that expectation is realistic, though, remains to be seen, as Carolina is going to have to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. Hurney knows that there are still folks who are skeptical of Young, but he believes he’s capable of leading this team on a deep playoff run.
“I think Dave (Canales) really believes in the quarterback, and I do too,” Hurney said in an interview with casino.us. “You know, I really liked the kid coming out, and if you put the right people around him, you can win with Bryce Young.”
Panthers Have Found Their Formula for Victory with Bryce Young
GettyBryce Young has been trending up at Panthers minicamp.
The Panthers don’t win pretty, but they have found a formula that helps keep them competitive at the very least. Young isn’t going to pick apart defenses on a consistent basis, but he knows how to keep the ball and create long, scoring drives on offense. Package that with a stifling defense, and Carolina is a sneaky dangerous team when it is firing on all cylinders.
The good news for the Panthers is that the NFC South division is still very much up for grabs heading into 2026, although it’s fair to expect both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints to give them a run for their money. If Young can build off of his play from last season, though, Carolina should be the favorite to repeat as division champs when it returns to action.
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