Media analysts and pundits are selling their Bryce Young stock. The Carolina Panthers QB has come under fire for being unable to contend with the highest pressure rate in the NFL (which he has all season) the last two weeks. A roughly 50% pressure rate is borderline untenable for all players.
Mina Kimes said the offensive line is a big problem, but then you have Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre talking about Young being someone you just "can't extend." They may be out, but they probably shouldn't be.
Just consider the facts: Bryce Young has had an injured knee since Week 3, he's faced the most pressure all season, and he's still performing at a high level. Sure, the first few weeks of the season help skew that, but the awful games from the last two weeks do, too.
If we're not ignoring those games, we're also not ignoring the good ones. In other words, we're still taking the overall sample size, which is seven weeks of really strong quarterback play. Don't believe me? Check the stats.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts against the Green Bay Packers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Carolina Panthers can't pass-protect, and Bryce Young is currently (or has been) too banged up to avoid sacks like he used to. That is ultimately a failing of the team around him, though he's receiving most of the blame.
But the overall numbers don't lie. They still paint a picture of a really good quarterback. We all knew deep down that his scorching start, when he was arguably the best in the NFL, would cool off. It has, but the overall performance is still good.
Look at this chart. Young's turnover-worthy play rate is at the bottom of the league. Only Caleb Williams does a better job at not putting the ball in harm's way. The last two weeks would suggest Young has been careless, but overall, he's keeping the ball very safe.
The big-time throws have trailed off to the middle of the pack, but Young has always been good at making those plays, even in 2024 and 2025. Once he's healthy or the line figures out how to block, those numbers should rise to the positive side of the mean once more.
How about this one exclusively from Week 8? Young had a pretty bad week against a ferocious pass rush, seeing the third-most pressure of any quarterback. Yet, he was barely worse than average against pressure. Over the course of a full season, that's a fine place to be at.
Zooming back out to the full season, here's a chart showcasing which QBs are being carried by their weapons in yards after catch. In other words, Young is firmly in the "airing it out and not getting a ton of help from playmakers" area, which is where you want to be. Look at the company he's in: Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Lamar Jackson, etc. The future MVP is probably in that cluster.
And one more for good measure. The middle of the field is seen as harder to access for shorter QBs, but it's also seen as the most valuable place to throw to. Yet, the 5'10" quarterback is doing that very well. He is again in the good quadrant of throwing to the middle frequently and having success doing it.
He's there with Caleb Williams, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and Lamar Jackson. Again, that's really good company to be in. The more times Young shows up in those places on these charts, the better we know he's playing. And overall, he's still playing well.
Young does sit in the middle of the pack in EPA numbers, but that's by and large a function of the offense as a whole. When Young drops back, he's dependent on his offensive line, the receivers, and sometimes what the defense is doing. That all goes into EPA/play, so it's not the best when applied solely to a QB.
Still, on the year, he is positive in EPA/dropback, which is another feather in the cap here. Young's season may have lost some luster recently, but it's still a fantastic year for the QB.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/panthers/onsi as Deep Dive: It's Not Time to Panic on Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young Yet .
