6 hours Ago By Sean Labar
The Carolina Panthers are heading into year three with Bryce Young as their QB riding the momentum from the final stretch in 2024. While Carolina only finished the year with a (5-12) record, there’s plenty of optimism heading into 2025 after Young and the Panthers offense kept them close in several one-score losses against good teams, while pulling off a few wins to close out the 2024 campaign. After two weeks into the season, Young was benched for veteran Andy Dalton and the future of the hopeful Panthers franchise QB was in doubt.
But an injury to Dalton gave the former first round pick another chance, and he looked like a totally different player in the second half of the season in Carolina . Young showed promise in his first game back, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns against a good Broncos defense, but he also threw two costly interceptions in the loss. But the second-year signal caller led the Panthers to back-to-back wins over the Saints and Giants the next two weeks and it was clear he was processing defenses and gaining confidence.
The next three games, Young played great — but the Panthers faced the Chiefs, Bucs and Eagles — all playoff teams, with two of those now prepping for the Super Bowl. He threw for 261 yards and a touchdown in a three-point loss to the Chiefs, and in the following week, He threw for 298 yards and a touchdown while adding another score with his legs as a runner in a 3-point overtime loss to Tampa Bay. Finally, against the best defense in the NFL, Young threw for 191 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a one-score loss to the Eagles.
But Young found a way to lead Carolina to win two out of their last four games and put up some of his most impressive performances of his career. In the 36-30 victory over the Cardinals, Young threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 68 yards and a score as a rusher. In the season finale, Young was simply phenomenal, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns and running for another 24 touchdowns in a clutch overtime win over the Falcons, who were playing for a chance to go to the playoffs.
Young’s late season success came with almost no elite talent around him on offense. His No. 1 WR was veteran Adam Thielen and players like Jalen Coker and rookie Xavier Legette shined in moments, but the surrounding cast wasn’t great.
It’s clear the Carolina Panthers are heading into the offense with a focus on adding a dynamic No. 1 WR for Young — and while they have been linked to Tee Higgins — Pro Football Network believes they are going to make a trade with the Steelers to acquire George Pickens. Last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers made the rare player-for-player trade, swapping wide receiver Diontae Johnson and cornerback Dante Jackson.
This time, Pittsburgh will again send a wide receiver to Charlotte, trading the mercurial George Pickens under the following framework: Panthers Receive: WR George Pickens, 2025 5th-round pick Steelers Receive: 2025 2nd-round pick (No. 57 overall), 2025 4th-round pick (from DAL) Pickens has174 receptions, 2,841 receiving yards and 12 receiving TDs in two seasons with the Steelers. He would obviously be a massive addition for the Panthers in 2025.
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