Bryce Young shares what he wants to fine-tune before regular season starts

The time is rapidly approaching for Bryce Young to make his NFL regular season debut. In just a few weeks, the rookie out of Alabama will get his first taste of the big stage.

Yes, Young has stepped onto the field during the preseason in each of Carolina’s first two games. He’s thrown a total of just 12 passes, completing seven for 56 yards.

Life gets much different once the regular season kicks off in September. And before that first game, there are a few things Young wants to fine-tune.

“Operation. I think really just continuing to grow in the ownership of the playbook and command of the huddle and things of that nature,” Young said. “And then just being more efficient with execution with where my eyes wanna be pre- and post-snap. Making sure it’s a smooth operation from a ball-handling standpoint. Cadence, footwork, all those sorts of things.

“Just trying to keep fine-tuning that and keep pushing that and not being complacent. Keep trying to grow. The coaches do a great job of pushing myself and everyone in the QB room, so I’m really dialed in on that.”

Young was the No. 1 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. With that comes some serious expectations, even for a rookie quarterback.

The Panthers close out the preseason schedule on Friday, Aug. 25 against the Detroit Lions. Head coach said the starters would “probably” see action in the preseason finale … though he didn’t specify how long they’d be on the field.

With Carolina already naming Young the starter, it’s probably safe to assume he won’t see too many snaps against the Lions. While reps are undeniably important for a rookie quarterback, Young’s health is the top priority.

Bryce Young confident from the start

Although the transition from the college game to the NFL can be intimidating, Young has maintained confidence in his ability from the jump. Back in June, the quarterback talked about that aspect of entering the league.

“I don’t really know how other people necessarily perceive me or what people may think,” Young admitted. “For me, I think confidence is something you earn and I show up every day for I think right now is when as a team, as a group we try to earn that confidence.

“So for me I feel like I try to attack that every day, us as a unit, me individually, try to instill trust and confidence in one another,” Young said. “So I think that’s a big goal for us.”

That’s the kind of mentality you want in a quarterback at this level. He wouldn’t have earned that starting job in Carolina if he didn’t have faith in his ability.

After the preseason, Young and the Panthers have a few weeks to prepare for the season opener. Carolina plays division rival Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 10 with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.