When Bryce Young finished his rookie season with a 2-14 record as a starter, several jumped off his bandwagon. 

Myself included. 

The slight quarterback offered little reason to consider his future still bright in the league. The Carolina Panthers finished near the bottom of the league in almost every offensive stat, and Young was ranked at the bottom of the league in almost every quarterback stat. 

Still, Peyton Manning, an NFL legend who also suffered an underwhelming rookie season, isn't losing hope for the former No. 1 overall pick. 

In an interview with Panthers.com's Kassidy Hill, Manning said Young's future is bright and can only improve. 

"Bryce will benefit from that," Manning said of Young's rookie season. "His experience is just going to help this year. I know it wasn't easy, but my rookie year was tough, I won three games with 28 picks. But it's better being in there struggling than being on the sideline watching." 

There were questions about whether Young should be benched during his awful rookie season. The Panthers elected to keep him on the field through thick and thin. 

Recently, the Panthers hired Dave Canales as a new head coach. 

Canales admitted he wants to work with Young and build a substantial relationship. 

That will work in Young's favor. 

"I think that's a great combination for Bryce because it'll be the same system every year," Manning said of the marriage with Canales to Panthers.com. "Dave did a great job with Baker (Mayfield) in Tampa last year. I know he's going to bring a great system to Bryce."

The Panthers will be looking to build an offense around Young by adding weapons to what was a barren cabinet throughout 2023. 

As the Panthers look to build on what was a disappointing 2023 with a new crop of coaches and a reshaped roster, Young still has a believer in Manning. 

It isn't much, but it matters that an NFL legend still sees the talent of what Young can be.  

"I think just not getting hit a ton and having good guys up front and a good system that protects you is my number one thing," Manning said. "You can't learn a lot if you're on the ground, getting hit all the time. I don't care how tough you are or how athletic you are, it just doesn't work. So, a good system that protects the quarterback and has the answers for him to throw to."

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