The Carolina Panthers could be the most intriguing team in the National Football League.
Carolina’s division, the NFC South, does not have a team that is a juggernaut. Derek Carr will be a good quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, but the Panthers believe its No. 1 overall pick will lead it to a division title. Bryce Young amazed everyone in rookie minicamp, organized team activities, and mandatory minicamp with his performances in practice and football intelligence.
RELATED: Watch: Panthers teammate says Bryce Young is ‘hard not to like’
Frank Reich, the Panthers’ head coach, feels Young is ready to be a starting quarterback.
He moved him to the starting job shortly after OTAs because of how well he was progressing. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky joined Pat McAfee on the Pat McAfee Show to explain in detail why Carolina has been thoroughly impressed by Young.
“The big takeaway in Carolina is that because Bryce Young is so good mentally they can expand their playbook..
That’s so rare for a rookie QB and that’s really taken them by surprise” ~ @danorlovsky7 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/o1b2xsf4JF
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 23, 2023
“They are shocked with how impressive Bryce Young is mentally,” Orlovsky said about the Panthers. “I remember going back to April and having conversations, just text message conversations. The phrase that kept getting shared with me about Bryce was ‘elite processor, elite processor, elite processor.’ He is mentality more advanced than everyone else. They are surprised by how mentally advanced he is both playbook-wise, field-wise, and situational. The biggest takeaway is they don’t think there is a single part of his game that holds them back from unloading their whole playbook. That is rare for a rookie quarterback.”
RELATED: Watch: Bryce Young takes very first snap with Carolina Panthers
Young’s knowledge of the quarterback position has Carolina wanting to expand its playbook. He was gifted at the University of Alabama, becoming the program’s first Heisman-winning quarterback in 2021. We will see what he becomes in the NFL.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
