Bryce Young explains mindset entering year two after rocky rookie season with Panthers

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young broke minicamp last week by throwing a touchdown pass. He’ll let that linger through these next few weeks until Carolina training camp starts next month.

But last season, there’s no need to dwell on that. Who wants to carry around the angst and anxiety generated by a 2-15 season? Young also has a unique background that helps him better absorb on-field issues. He has a degree in psychology from Alabama. And no doubt, he was motivated to pick this as a major by the men in his life. His father worked as a therapist in the mental health field for two decades. And his grandfather worked as a psychologist.

“It’s helped me through my whole life,” Young told ESPN. “The good, the bad, indifferent; making sure that myself, internally, I’m OK. Luckily, I’ve been very conscious of that my whole life, so I’ve had a lot of practice compartmentalizing things and trying to have healthy habits.”

The Panthers selected Young with the top pick of last year’s NFL Draft. And Carolina didn’t hesitate to start him as soon as the season kicked off. It was a trend all around the NFL. There were 10 rookie quarterbacks who started games in 2023. Young struggled. And to add to the anxiety, Carolina fired first-year coach Frank Reich right after Thanksgiving weekend. That’s when the Panthers dropped to 1-10.

Carolina hired Dave Canales, a very quarterback-friendly head coach. Canales worked with Geno Smith in Seattle, then Baker Mayfield at Tampa Bay. Both quarterbacks, with Canales’ help, resurrected their careers. Young doesn’t need to resurrect his. But a redirection certainly is warranted.

“It’s constructive,” Young said of Canales’ calm approach. “If you miss something or do something wrong it gives you something tangible to [say], ‘Let’s get our base in order.’ It’s something you can think about and apply. It’s been really good for me.”

Andy Dalton, the Panthers second-team quarterback, says you can see Canales’ influence on Young.

“It’s instilling confidence in him, knowing that (Canales) is giving him the keys to this offense,” Dalton told reporters. “We’re going to see Bryce do things he didn’t do last year just because of the experience. We’re already seeing it right now.”

The Panthers helped out Young in the off-season, giving him a variety of offensive options. They traded for Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson. Then they traded back into the first round of April’s draft to select receiver Xavier Legette. Then they drafted running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round. Brooks was the first running back to go in the draft. Two rounds later, the Panthers opted for tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, Brooks’ teammate at Texas.

Meanwhile, Young put his psychology degree to good use. He established the 9 Young Foundation. The agency focuses on mental health awareness for teenagers as well as younger children.

And he also knows what his role is with the Panthers, other than passing or handing off the ball.

“It’s my responsibility to fill in the gaps and make sure if we’re in a spot where the energy is low, it’s my responsibility to get it up,” Young said. “If it’s too high, it’s my responsibility to make sure we’re focused and locked in.”