The Carolina Panthers are rolling into the 2026 NFL season with three quarterbacks on their roster. Fan favorite and undrafted rookie Haynes King will be the third option, with Bryce Young will continuing as the starter and fifth-year veteran Kenny Pickett serving as the primary backup.
While the Panthers spent big money to upgrade their defensive front seven this offseason, the one thing that will determine how far they go more than anything else in 2026 is Young's growth in his fourth year in the league. A lot will go into that development, but he's getting rave reviews in at least one metric—his command of the offense under new play-caller, offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.
Here's what Pickett had to say about how Young is handling the reins,
per Mke Kaye at ESPN:
"You can tell it's [Young's] third year in the system," Pickett said. "I feel like he has a really good grasp of the offense.
". . . Has had these plays multiple times versus multiple different looks, so he knows where to go with the football with what he sees. He's playing really fast, so it's been really cool to work with him."
Of course, it's not difficult to find teammates who will say nice things about their starting quarterback. Whether or not Young has actually grown will be determined during the regular season—and if this comment is just blowing smoke, we will find out pretty quickly.
For what it's worth, Young did look very sharp in his last bit of preseason action—leading a seven-play, 58-yard touchdown drive against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Young's pass protection was pretty awful, but he kept on extending plays and delivering the ball where it needed to go.
If Young can keep that one dynamic going, it'll be a massive boost for Carolina's offense—even if their front line continues to struggle as it did in August.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers QB Kenny Pickett comments on Bryce Young's grasp of the offense
