The NFL has a way of humbling rookie quarterbacks, and thus far this season Carolina Panthers QB and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young is experiencing all of it. The talented-but-diminutive Heisman Trophy winner hasn’t looked good at all through four starts this season. And while it’s still early, the Panthers are looking for a way to get hopefully get Young jumpstarted.
Per NFL insider Ian Rappaport, the Panthers are going to make some changes to their offense to help Young out. The biggest change will come in the form of simplifying things for the rookie. There reportedly will be less responsibility for him pre- and post-snap. Mainly the verbiage and what is asked of him during each play is what Rappaport reported on Thursday.
Simplifying Things Should Help Bryce Young
“When you look at some of the other rookies, like [the Colts’] Anthony Richardson and [Texans’] C.J. Stroud, they get to the line, snap the ball, and run the play. But with Bryce Young, it’s like he’s dealing with a lot of verbiage, protection schemes, and adjustments. It almost seem like it’s too much for the young QB to handle,” Rappaport wrote.
This is really no surprise. Head coach Frank Reich offense isn’t the most QB-friendly. Although it’s a lot of what Bryce has done in his football career from a scheme standpoint with shotgun formations, no-huddle tempo and run-pass options, asking it requires a lot from the signal-caller. If it gave veterans like Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan trouble, it’s going to do the same for a rookie, including someone as intelligent as Young.
There’s nothing easy about it, but it’s Reich’s job to make it conducive to his young QB’s current mental capacity. Young has never been a QB who holds the football and looks indecisive, But thus far in the Panthers offense that’s all it’s been.
Did Stroud’s Success Play A Factor?
The play of 2023 No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud definitely has caught the eye of the Panthers coaches and brass, as it has around the league. In the first five games this season, Stroud has been great in a quick-hitting attack that hasn’t asked him to do much but, as Rappaport stated, play football.
Stroud’s numbers look like this: 1,461 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s unheard of for any rookie, but especially one who’s being asked to throw the football a lot each week.
That hasn’t happened for Young, whose numbers are paltry at best: 750 yards passing, five touchdowns and four interceptions. But it’s the type of interceptions that Young has thrown, in which he looks like he has no clue what he’s seeing or doing.
Much of it is due to his porous offensive line, and the trade to get him with the top pick meant they had to ship wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Bears. Moore would’ve been Young’s top target and someone he could trust to help his transition.
