Bryce Young on expectations for 2023: 'Taking things day by day'
For the Panthers, Bryce Young represented a changing of the guard. A chance at certainty. That is why the team traded up to go get him in the 2023 NFL Draft. And on Tuesday, when speaking to the media regarding his expectations and the team's holistic aspirations, Young wrote another chapter in the already extensive […]
For the Panthers, Bryce Young represented a changing of the guard. A chance at certainty.
That is why the team traded up to go get him in the 2023 NFL Draft. And on Tuesday, when speaking to the media regarding his expectations and the team's holistic aspirations, Young wrote another chapter in the already extensive lore written about his maturity and character.
Despite the outside pressure, and the weight David Tepper is putting on the Panthers to be better than they have been in the last five years, Young isn't letting any of that get to him. Instead, he, like someone who is already a 10-year veteran in the NFL, is choosing to take each day for what it is, not getting ahead of himself and the team along their journey toward being a relevant NFL franchise again.
"For me and for us as a team, we are big on taking things day-by-day," Young said. "For us, it is focusing on today. And when tomorrow rolls around, focusing on how we can get better in the meeting room and how we can get better on the practice field. So, the expectation is really to just push each other and get the best out of each other every single day. If we keep stacking those days, that is all we can really control."
Already, Young is sounding like the type of leader many have billed him to be since his days at Alabama.
Ahead of him at training camp is an arduous test of seeing if he is ready to be the Week 1 starter.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich has set out to challenge Young since OTAs and mandatory minicamp. And thus far, Young has passed with flying colors. So much so, he was named the starter in June, more than a full month before the start of training camp.
He was asked if he feels that the starting quarterback job is his to lose, and to that, Young said he isn't worried about who plays where. Instead, he is thinking about how he can be a better version of himself each day he steps on the field.
He also managed to give Andy Dalton, the Panthers' second-string veteran signal-caller, praise for working with him throughout the summer.
"I am super grateful to have had Andy here," Young said. "For me, it's just trying to learn as much as I can from him. Him going out of his way to help me, and mentor me, has helped me tremendously."
Help from Dalton or not, Young is the Panthers' guy. He has a recipe for dealing with the weight of expectations. And thanks to those he has around him, he is carrying himself like a league veteran.
The Panthers' offense appears to be in steady hands — at least for now.
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Feature image via Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports.
