Panthers’ Bryce Young discusses week on sideline, criticism entering Vikings matchup
Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young spent last week on the sideline with an injured ankle. But it wasn’t the first time the 22-year-old was forced to miss a game week due to an injury in his football career.
Last season, while leading the Alabama Crimson Tide against Arkansas, Young suffered a shoulder injury, forcing him to miss a 24-20 win over Texas A&M the next week.
Just as he watched then-Alabama backup quarterback Jalen Milroe lead the Crimson Tide for a week last season, Young spent Week 3 watching veteran QB Andy Dalton prepare his unit for the 37-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
He didn’t let the time on the sideline go to waste.
“If you’re missing practice or missing the game, it’s not just a mental break, it’s not just ‘I’m just watching as a fan’ — you still try to play the game from the sidelines,” Young said Thursday. “You still try to do everything you can to help the team. Do everything you can, in this case, to help Andy, and just try to communicate as much as possible. And then, throughout the week, still go through the same preparation, still look through and watch the same amount of stuff to keep yourself in the same routine.
“Just being consistent and making sure — even though I wasn’t able to play — (I) still was able to get something out of the week.”
And while Young’s critics have questioned his size — he’s 5-10, 204 pounds — and NFL durability, the rookie said he isn’t concerned with outside opinions. The outside noise, according to him, hasn’t impacted his recovery timeline.
“It doesn’t drive me at all,” Young said about the criticism. “Good or bad, what people are going to say, it’s out of my control. People are going to have opinions — good or bad — and I think that’s the beauty of sports. It’s great that we get to have conversations, and people that are passionate and care get to express that. But for me I can’t control that. It’s not something I think about.
“Ultimately, I care about the opinions of the people in this building. I care about my teammates and my coaches and I trust everyone here. So, that’s whose opinions, and when they speak, that’s who I listen to. And, again, one way or another, I can’t control what people say or think — so, it doesn’t dictate my actions.”
Young is on track to make his return to the lineup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
The rookie quarterback has already dealt with plenty of adversity in his first NFL season, but he’s not dwelling on Carolina’s 0-3 start or his minor injury woes.
“Of course, obviously, it’s not the start we want, but it’s nothing we can change now,” Young said. “So, for me, I’ve said it a lot, with good or bad, you have to figure out what’s next. You have to be able to accept that and move on and try to be constructive with it.”
Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown appreciated Young’s energy at practice and in the film room to start the week. Brown, a first-year coordinator, said Young’s energy was the best it has been so far this season.
Young will need to bring that same energy to the turf on Sunday. The Vikings have gotten off to a rough start as well, especially on defense. The Vikings rank 27th in yards allowed, and they’re giving up 27.3 points per game through three weeks.
Still, Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores can bring the heat, especially with creative and consistent blitzes against the passing game. Young will need to see the field and react quickly against the Vikings’ aggressive attack.
Brown said processing will be “extremely important” against the Minnesota defense.
“I see an opportunity every time we snap the football,” Brown said. “So whether they’re bringing pressure or not . . . we design every play we call with the expectation of having an efficient operation to be able to execute. There are some voids, here and there, but I think whether they’re bringing pressure (with a blitz), bringing four (rushers) or dropping eight and putting in three (on the line), it’s about our execution and operation overall.”
Young, who has spent the week studying Vikings film, knows that he will need to lean on his preparation during the game. Known as a fast processor in the pocket, he has to use that trait regularly to find open weapons against the visiting squad.
“It’s definitely important, as I feel like it always is,” Young said. “That’s a big part of the position in my opinion. Processing and being able to see stuff — that’s something also that I lean a lot on with my coaches and teammates.
“We meet for a while, we talk about things, and just being able to lean on the stuff we’re looking for and what we’re trying to see, what we’re trying to do and what we are trying to accomplish and execute, just being able to get as many mental reps as you can of that. Put yourself through it, and try to spend as much time internalizing it, so when things do happen, you can apply it in a game.”
Thursday injury report
The Panthers released the Thursday injury report following practice.
Young was a full participant for a second consecutive day, while wideout Adam Thielen was given a veteran day off. Safety Xavier Woods (hamstring) missed his second consecutive practice.
Wideout DJ Chark (rest/hamstring) and linebacker Frankie Luvu (hip) returned to practice as limited participants after missing Wednesday’s workout. Right tackle Taylor Moton (ankle/rest) also returned but was a full participant.
Here is the full the injury report for Thursday:
DNP: FS Xavier Woods (hamstring), WR Adam Thielen (rest).
LIMITED: WR Jonathan Mingo (concussion), WR DJ Chark (rest/hamstring), RB Miles Sanders (groin), G Chandler Zavala (calf), DE LaBryan Ray (finger), LB Frankie Luvu (hip).
FULL: C Bradley Bozeman (quad), CB CJ Henderson (ankle), OT Taylor Moton (rest/ankle), DE LaBryan Ray (finger).
This story was originally published September 28, 2023 at 5:00 PM.
