Panthers to play Bryce Young in preseason opener against Jets

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young will get the start under center in the preseason opener against the New York Jets on Aug. 12, head coach Frank Reich said Sunday.

Reich did not reveal, however, how many snaps or series Young will play in during his NFL debut.

“I do have an idea,” Reich said, via ESPN. “There is flexibility in the plan. There has to be. That’s just being smart about it. We have a general idea how many plays we want to get through the whole preseason, but that can be adjusted by 10 or 20 percent depending on how things go.”

Young, the first overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, added Saturday he’s looking forward to meeting Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the first time, even with the four-time MVP not taking part in the game. Rodgers will instead get his work in during joint practices with the Panthers this Wednesday and Thursday at Wofford College in Spartanburg.

“He’s somebody I’ve watched and studied and looked up to a lot throughout my life,” Young said. “I have a ton of respect for his game.”

How is Bryce Young handling high expectations?

Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, became the latest quarterback to go No. 1 overall, the last three being Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence — all of whom made their mark in the NFL in a very short period of time. People expect Young to do the same.

While it is definitely the leading cause of the expectations placed upon him, the pressure of being a No. 1 overall pick is not the only thing that heights the expectations of Young. There is also the fact he is competing against the other quarterback selected in the first four picks of the draft in C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. The Panthers also have a shot to make the playoffs as the NFC South is in a state of flux.

Reich said Young is handling all that pressure on his shoulders in a professional manner, which is how they expected of him.

“The way he should, right?” Reich said on NFL Network earlier this week. “That’s all of our expectations. When you’re the No. 1 pick of the draft, which, of course you would expect him to handle it like a pro. This isn’t his first rodeo. He’s been under pressure his whole life, had those high expectations on him his whole life. He knows and we know that we do want to win big but we also know we have to prove that day-by-day.”