Bryce Young on facing Caleb Williams in 2024: 'Nothing but love for him'

Bryce Young is looking forward to facing Caleb Williams later this year since it will be a battle of the last two No. 1 draft picks. While speaking to reporters on Monday, the Carolina Panthers quarterback shared his reaction to the team facing the Chicago Bears this fall.

“I’ve known Caleb for a really long time,” Young said. “Great dude. I have a ton of respect for him for his family. I have nothing by love for him. I’m super excited for him to be in the league, super excited for his future. I’m excited to watch him.”

The game between the Panthers and Bears is set to take place on Oct. 16. Williams will be the starting QB for the Bears, while Young will enter his second year as the Panthers quarterback. In college, Young won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama in 2021 and Williams won it at USC in 2022. The game between the two is a potential look at the NFL’s future, making it one of the more interesting games in 2024.

Speaking of upcoming games, Young shared his thoughts on the Panthers’ schedule. “I’m excited to get another opportunity,” Young said. “We’re on to a new year. For all of us, we have a chip on our shoulders. We want to compete. We have our goals.

“For us, I don’t feel like we have that luxury of looking at games. We got to go out and earn everything. It was cool to see it. It’s great to just get the logistics and you know. We got to make sure that we’re ready for every game. We have to bring our best every game and we got to focus on us.”

Bryce Young shares his thoughts on new head coach Dave Canales

The Panthers finished the 2023 season with a 2-14 record, and Young finished the year with 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a completion percentage of 60. The Panthers have a new head coach in Dave Canales, and Young has been impressed with him.

“Really, it’s the consistency he has,” Young said of Canales, per ESPN. “He has a very calming presence. He’s someone you can have a conversation with, talk with. Good, bad or indifferent, you can tell there’s an emphasis on teaching. At times, of course, we’re passionate. With coaches there’s a lot of yelling, a lot of emotion.

“His style is very [positive]. He wants to make sure he communicates. It’s not just, ‘Oh, that’s a bad throw’ or ‘You missed.’ It’s constructive. If you miss something or do something wrong, it gives you something tangible to, ‘Hey, let’s get our base in order.’ It’s something you can think about and apply. It’s been really good for me.”