Panthers GM Dan Morgan: Bryce Young is 'committed to be great'

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young knows he needs to dazzle this season to let people know he was worthy of the No. 1 pick of last year’s draft. Winning would be a start.

The Panthers won only two games in Young’s rookie season. But the quarterback also didn’t have as much talent surrounding him as the better teams do.

But the Panthers, intentionally, designed a team around Young, from hiring a coach perfect for him, to signing and drafting multiple receivers and a highly-regarded rookie running back. So with all that invested in him, Young continues to put his head down and churn through it all.

“I think Bryce is one of the hardest working men in that locker room,” Panthers general manager Dan Morgan told reporters.

“I know he’s on a mission. I(And) I know he’s committed to be great, I know he’s committed to this franchise and making this franchise great. We’re going to do everything in our power to surround him with the best players, the best protection . . . so we’ve got to do our part as well. But I know Bryce is hungry, he’s focused and we’re super excited about him.”

NFL analyst listed Young as one of players most under pressure

Young definitely will have to work harder to help him avoid the pressure that comes with being the top pick. Fans (and team management) want their teams to win now. They’re rather impatient with the term “rebuilding.” You want to spend glorious fall Sundays watching your favorite team score touchdowns. Plus, Young was an Alabama quarterback. Those guys rarely lost.

Bucky Brooks, an NFL analyst for Fox Sports, recently named the Panthers quarterback as one of the five players most under pressure. And you can apply the term literally and in the abstract. After all, opposing defenses sacked Young 62 times in 2023. That’s the most of any quarterback in a decade.

Brooks wrote: “After a disappointing rookie campaign, the former No. 1 overall pick has been dismissed as an elite talent. Despite playing in a dysfunctional environment, critics have taken Young to task for failing to flash “franchise” potential by single-handedly making his squad competitive against all odds.

“With his classmate, CJ Stroud, looking like a potential superstar, the pressure is on the second-year pro to show up and show out under new head coach Dave Canales. Considering the quarterback guru helped resurrect the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield before landing the gig in Charlotte, Young needs to step up his game to alleviate some of the concerns regarding the team’s hefty investment in the young quarterback.”

The Panthers reported to training camp, Tuesday. Young will have so many more tools to work with in practice. Carolina traded for Steelers wideout Diontae Johnson. They moved into the first round of April’s draft to select Xavier Legette.

And the Panthers did more than sign wideouts. They also paid big money for offensive linemen Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis.  And after taking Legette in the first round, the Panthers selected former Texas Longhorn Jonathon Brooks, the top running back on the board.

So there is reason for Panthers optimism as training camp starts, as Young keeps working to prove his worth.