One of the most heartwarming and encouraging stories from the 2024 NFL season happened in a place where success was hard to come by: Charlotte.
It began in massive disappointment. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young struggled mightily to start the campaign, throwing three interceptions in two blowout losses before first-year coach Dave Canales benched him for veteran Andy Dalton.
The demotion could have sent Young into a spiral. At the time, most saw it as the sign of the end of Young's time in Carolina.
Things changed, however, when Dalton's involvement in a car accident forced Young back into the lineup in late October. He took off immediately, throwing two touchdown passes (and two interceptions) in an encouraging loss to Denver. Two weeks later, he began a season-finishing stretch in which he threw 12 touchdowns and three interceptions over his final eight games, led the Panthers to three wins and provided overwhelming evidence that he can, in fact, be the franchise quarterback Carolina drafted him to be.
The finish to 2024 left Canales beaming with pride in his quarterback and excited about what lies ahead for them.
"I've gotta just give all the credit to Bryce," Canales said during an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. "Handling (it) the way he did with maturity, attacking it, and really positioning himself for that next opportunity, not knowing when that opportunity was going to come. Stepping back in and doing the work. Taking the challenge and really finding the joy of playing again.
"I could sense that when we went out to Denver. We didn't get the result we wanted. We didn't win that game. But he threw some balls with confidence. He was having fun, connecting with his teammates, working the sideline, all that. And it was just like I could see this shift in him. And then he just took steps every week. Diving into the install, diving into the game plan, improving from the previous game and applying those things, it was really cool to be a part of."
Carolina was in a bad place early in 2024. Young wasn't showing any signs of improvement and was playing so poorly, it was fair to wonder whether Carolina's dreadful 2023 might have permanently broken him. Months later, the Panthers have realized all their No. 1 pick needed was more time to grow and a chance to prove himself.
There's no guarantee Young will end up being their franchise guy in the long run, but the returns from his 2024 season certainly suggest they have their man. With Young as their centerpiece, the Panthers can proceed forward with Canales and general manager Dan Morgan without needing to focus on finding another answer at quarterback.
For that, Canales is thankful. Now, the Panthers can work on building a competitive roster around their quarterback.
