CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As Bryce Young twice took a knee to run out the clock as Sunday night crept into Monday morning, the capacity crowd at Bank of America Stadium serenaded the Carolina Panthers quarterback with "MVP!" chants a final time.
They could have broken out another cheer for the fourth-year quarterback: "Pay the man!"
Young's performance in the 32-26 win over Detroit Lions alone didn't catapult him into the $55 million a year stratosphere. The Lions (2-2) have the NFL's worst passing defense, and were clueless when it came to solving Young and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
It's Young's showing over the first quarter of the NFL season that should prompt owner David Tepper to dig into his deep pockets and make Young a very rich man. With 329 yards against the limp Lions defense, Young remained the NFL's passing leader with 1,268 yards through four games.
He's tied for third in touchdown passes with nine and taken a huge step in his development in his fourth season. Young became the first quarterback in team history to throw for 250 yards or more and at least one touchdown pass in each of the first four games of a season.
That Young shined in the Panthers' first "Sunday Night Football" appearance at home in 11 years gave the rest of the NFL world got a glimpse of his growth.
"They had no choice (but) to see it. He played efficient, stood in the pocket, delivered the football at a high clip. Everybody got to see what we see," right guard Robert Hunt said.
"He's doing what he gotta do. You love to see it, man," Hunt added. "Especially when guys are trying to get their money, you love to see it. He's doing a damn good job and he's making a showcase. So good for him."
Winless in his first three primetime games, Young came into this one missing his second and third receivers, with Jalen Coker (quad) and Xavier Legette (knee) both down with injuries. But Young still had McMillan.
The two were locked in Sunday, like they were playing pitch and catch at Golden West College, the two-year school in suburban L.A. where they hooked up for a fateful workout before the Panthers took McMillan eighth overall in 2025.
The duo had their moments during McMillan's Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign last season. But not like this. When offensive coordinator Brad Idzik sprinkled in a run-pass option package for the first time this season, he created space for the 6-foot-4 McMillan in the Lions' porous secondary.
Those RPOs also helped Young find an early rhythm. He completed his first 11 passes, five of which went to McMillan. By halftime, T-Mac had nine catches for 147 yards, surpassing his previous career highs.
"Somebody told me I had a hundred going into halftime," McMillan said. "So I'm like, 'Shoot, we're doing something right.'"
McMillan would finish with 14 receptions for 192 yards, narrowly missing the team records held by Christian McCaffrey (15 catches) and Steve Smith (201 receiving yards) in both categories. He also pulled down two touchdowns, including a 32-yarder that was the Panthers' longest play of the night.
"I've gotta be honest. It was not a great week of practice for the two of them," Panthers coach Dave Canales said. "There were some misses. They had to work through some stuff and talk through it. I've been a part of this before, where you don't make a judgment on what's gonna happen on Sunday."
"The guys kept working on it," Canales added. "And a couple of southern California guys, the lights will never be too bright for those two."
Despite those heroics, quarterback Jared Goff kept the Lions in the game by throwing for 412 yards and exploiting veteran cornerback Akayleb Evans, a special teams standout who was one of two replacements for injured starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.
Evans gave up completions of 49 yards (to Jameson Williams) and 57 yards (Isaac TeSlaa). Overall, Goff targeted receivers covered by Evans 15 times, resulting in 12 catches, according to Pro Football Focus.
When Goff found tight end Sam LaPorta for an 8-yard touchdown, the Lions were within 6 points with 3:38 remaining in the game. The Panthers (2-2) needed a couple of first downs to ice the game, but quickly faced a third-and-14 from their 32.
Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions' All-Pro edge rusher, beat backup tackle Stone Forsythe to flush Young out of the pocket. Rolling to his right, Young fired an 18-yard strike to McMillan, who somehow got both feet inbounds.
Young hustled the offense to the line of scrimmage before Lions coach Dan Campbell could challenge. But a replay review would have confirmed what Canales saw from his up-close view.
"I knew it right away. We went quickly right after that," he said. "But his feet were clearly in to secure the ball the whole away. So I had no doubt in my mind it was a catch."
McMillan's sideline grab forced the Lions to burn their final two timeouts. And when they got the ball back at their 11 with 2:06 left, they didn't get far. Princely Umanmielen's second-down sack -- the Panthers' only one of the game -- dashed the Lions' comeback hopes and set up Young's kneel-downs and accompanying "MVP!" chants.
"I heard it. In the moment you just focus on executing and trying to move the team," Young said. "Obviously a huge blessing, the support. And the Bank was electric. They caused some false starts. They made it hard on them."
McMillan also shouted out the home crowd, comparing it to the atmosphere for the playoff loss to the L.A. Rams in January.
"I give credit to Charlotte fans and all the Panthers fans because it was definitely a late one. Right now it's midnight, it's the next day," said McMillan, shooting a look at the digital clock in the team meeting room.
It was 12:18 a.m., a new day for the Panthers and their franchise quarterback.
"Nothing that Bryce did shocked me today. Bryce is a hell of a quarterback, man. He just is," Campbell said. "He's dangerous, he's got a quick release. He can process it, he can see it, he's mobile, he can move around in the pocket. He was tough, tough today."
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
