Progress is never a straight line going up. Getting better at any kind of performance art—be it in business, academia or sports—is a process that includes peaks and valleys.
You don't need to tell Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who slogged through a difficult first three seasons in the NFL before finally breaking out this year. There were signs of potential greatness along the way—but more often than not, Young's production was unimpressive until 2026.
Some folks still see Young as inconsistent, though.
In Nick Shook's weekly quarterback rankings at NFL.com he has Young at No. 13, up six spots from last week. He calls Young, off the 26-21 loss to the Denver Broncos, the most volatile of the bunch:
Bryce Young, the most volatile member
of the QB Index in 2026, is back on the rise after entering a flow state that powered a Panthers comeback against the Broncos. He nearly positioned Carolina to take an eight-point second-half lead before fate had different ideas. Young threw a wacky interception that was more a result of the defensive play made and the spheroid that is a football than a mistake by Young. The turnover stopped the Panthers’ momentum in its tracks, though. Young did his best to throw them back into the game in the fourth quarter, but fumbled away their last chance, ending a roller coaster of a day that fits his season.
From where we're sitting it's not fair to blame Young for the late fumble and certainly not the end zone "interception," which influenced the final score more than any other play of the game.
At worst, Young should be ranked No. 10 on this list. We'd put him ahead of Drake Maye (No. 12), Brock Purdy (No. 5) and Jordan Love (No. 3)—who's hot right now, but we'd much rather have Young with Love's supporting cast than the other way around.
So far, Young has played in eight games—and while letter grades are a blunt tool—we'd go something like this:
- Week 1 vs. Chicago: A+
- Week 2 at Atlanta: A
- Week 3 at Cleveland: C
- Week 4 vs. Detroit: A
- Week 6 at Philadelphia: B+
- Week 7 vs. Tampa Bay: D
- Week 8 at Green Bay: C-
- Week 9 vs. Denver: A
Remember, ups and downs are normal for every NFL quarterback. What matters is there are no F's here, and Young has put far more good than bad on tape.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers' Bryce Young dubbed ‘most volatile’ in QB rankings
