Have you seen that cardboard sign held up at a football game that said: “Our expectations for you were low, but HOLY F***?”
That was the 2024 Panthers
In 2024, the Panthers entered the season with the lowest expectations in football. They weren’t favored in a single game. They had a 4.5 win total. New head coach. Second-year quarterback. No pressure. No spotlight.
And yet, they still found a way to disappoint.
Bryce Young’s rookie year was one of the worst statistical seasons we’ve seen from a first-round QB. And the warning signs were there.
In my preseason chapter last year, I compared his metrics to other rookie quarterbacks with 300+ attempts in the past 10 and 25 years. He ranked near the bottom of every category — EPA, yards per attempt, and success rate.
My conclusion? “General improvement in Year 2… but still bad.”
Unfortunately, even that turned out to be a little generous.
The Panthers opened the 2024 season with a 47-10 embarrassment at the hands of the Saints.
Young threw 30 passes and completed just 13. He was holding the ball too long, not processing, not seeing the field.
By Week 2, the coaching staff was trying to force simplicity — super quick throws, low-risk concepts, anything to just get the ball out of Young’s hands. But it backfired spectacularly.
Young threw 10 passes in the first half against the Chargers. His average air yards? Just 1.3. And that number was inflated by a single 12-yard attempt, which was intercepted.
It was the kind of performance that, if it had come from a backup QB, would’ve gotten them cut. Instead, it got Young benched.
The Panthers turned to Andy Dalton in Week 3. And that decision — made just two games into the year — told us everything we needed to know.
For Dave Canales to make that call, he had to go to ownership. He had to face the front office. And he had to convince them to pull the plug on a quarterback they gave up D.J. Moore, two firsts, and two seconds to draft.
That’s franchise-altering capital. And they pulled the plug after 18 career starts.
It was a bold move. It was also the right one.
Dalton stepped in and immediately delivered a 36-22 win over the Raiders. He threw for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns. The offense looked professional. Functional. Calm. Structured.
And then, just as quickly as it all started, it fell apart.
Adam Thielen, Dalton’s WR1, pulled his hamstring during that very game and was placed on IR.
Dalton lost his best receiver, and then a few weeks later, injured his throwing thumb in a car accident.
By Week 9, Young was back under center.
Not because he’d earned it — but because the alternative was unavailable.
Young went 4-6 in his remaining starts. But three of those wins came in overtime. The fourth? A one-point comeback with 2 minutes left.
In 12 starts, he led at the end of regulation just once.
He was marginally better in 2023:
- Success rate from 34% to 38%
- Yards per attempt from 5.5 to 6.3
- Passer rating from 73.7 to 82.2
But the reality is, these are still bottom-tier stats for an NFL quarterback.
He ranked 41st in accuracy out of 46 qualifying QBs.
30th in EPA.
37th in Y/A.
39th in success rate.
Young's late-season “improvement” came against the NFL’s easiest schedule of pass defenses: Dallas (#28), Arizona (#26), Tampa (#25), and Atlanta (#20).
No QB faced an easier final four games.
And even during that stretch, his success rate ranked 29th of 32 QBs.
But here’s what’s fascinating: despite Young’s struggles and the worst-ranked defense in the NFL…there’s actual reason for hope.
The Panthers made major investments this offseason:
Drafted WR Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 overall
Used their top three defensive acquisitions on the line.
Signed starters at multiple levels in free agency.
And they’ve now built the most expensive offensive line in the entire NFL
That line paved the way for a top-five rushing attack on first down in 2024.
Chuba Hubbard was quietly excellent:
- #9 of 46 RBs in EPA
- #11 in success rate
- #7 in yards after contact per rush
Carolina also has one of the easiest schedules in the league — especially early.
Their first 7 games are against teams with losing expectations.
The Panthers don’t face a single team projected to finish above .500 until Week 8. That gives them time to build confidence and potentially stack wins.
This is why the Panthers — despite finishing 2-15 and 5-12 the past two years — are now a legit dark horse to beat their win total.
But let’s not sugarcoat things. The defense was historically bad last year:
- 32nd overall
- 32nd vs. the pass
- 32nd vs. the run
- 32nd on third down
- 32nd in the red zone
They will need a dramatic turnaround just to be average. And that turnaround has to happen against the league’s toughest schedule of opposing offenses in 2025.
So what does that mean?
It means everything still rides on Bryce Young.
The defense can improve. The run game can be efficient. The weapons can be better. The schedule can be soft.
But if Young doesn’t take real, sustained steps forward — not just four games against bad pass defenses — then all of it collapses.
The offensive line is elite. The early schedule is favorable. The wide receiver group is the best he’s ever had. The excuses are dwindling. And the leash is short.
Canales believes. He made the call to sit Young last year, and now he’s making the call to ride with him again.
The 2025 Panthers aren’t going anywhere without their quarterback playing like a starting-caliber player.
And if Young stumbles again, this time there may be no one left to convince Tepper to give him another chance.
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