Playoffs can make or break reputations. How will Panthers QB Bryce Young fare?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bryce Young makes his NFL playoff debut Saturday for Panthers against Rams.
- Panthers are 10.5-point underdogs, even though they are playing at home.
- Young and Panthers upset Rams, 31-28, on Nov. 30, when the QB was at his best.
Bryce Young has played in a number of big games before at every level of football.
But one thing he’s never done is play in an NFL playoff game, as he will do at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, when he starts at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers against the L.A. Rams. It is the Panthers’ first playoff game in eight seasons, and their first home playoff game in 10 years.
The playoffs are largely what elite quarterbacks are remembered for — how they performed and if they won a Super Bowl. Young is a long way from truly elite status, but this weekend could be a big step for the No. 1 overall draft pick of 2023. While he is going to stay calm throughout this week, because that’s who Young is, those around him are particularly excited for him.
“I’m so fired up for Bryce and for the whole crew,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said Tuesday. “These are the moments. And in my mind, when we put Bryce into these high-stakes situations, he’s performed well — whether going for it on fourth down or end-of-game type of stuff. ... These games are like that. And you know, when you’re playing a great opponent like the Rams, all the execution and the fundamentals are so important. I love this challenge for our group, and especially for Bryce.”
For his part, Young acted Tuesday in his weekly press conference like Saturday’s game wasn’t a lot different than Alabama vs. Auburn or Panthers vs. Rams in the regular season (when he was superb). He hit all of his usual talking points: saying he’s “super-grateful,” that nothing outside the Panthers’ building matters and that he’s not taking this opportunity for granted.
If Young ever offers a provocative pregame quote that provides a soundbite for the opposing locker room, a roomful of reporters will collapse in surprise on the spot. He’s an expert at saying little, but saying it quite pleasantly, such as when he was asked Saturday if it gave him confidence that the 10.5-point underdog Panthers already have beaten the Rams once this season (31-28, on Nov. 30).
“Confidence for us comes from within the building,” Young said. “We trust in each other. We know what we’re capable of. We’re focused on the process. We’re not looking at anything external. ... We don’t need that motivation. ... One of our goals was to get here, to win the (NFC) South. We’re able to get that done, and we don’t need to look on the bulletin board to get us fired up. I’m super-grateful to have a group like that. We don’t take this for granted at all. We’re grateful for the opportunity, but we’re very internally motivated as a team.”
See what I mean? But Young also knows that quarterbacks make their real money on third downs and by winning playoff games.
Of Carolina’s nine playoff wins in franchise history, Jake Delhomme was the quarterback for five of them. Now the Panthers’ radio analyst, Delhomme said he’d love to see Young show some emotion Saturday.
Said Delhomme in a phone interview: “The biggest thing is Bryce — hey, go play. Go play with all the confidence in the world. ... Let it hang out on the field. ... You make a first down, give a little (first-down symbol). This team follows you. He’s so mild-mannered and he’s so respectful, and that’s just him. But man, when he shows a little bit of emotion and things like that, this team feeds off of it. And I think the crowd feeds off of it.”
Young and the Panthers had a chance to win the NFC South outright Saturday but instead lost 16-14 to Tampa Bay. That meant Carolina finished at 8-9 and had to count on Atlanta beat New Orleans on Sunday afternoon to win the NFC South.
While Canales, center Austin Corbett and others were glued to every play of that game, Young said he only watched “the last two minutes,” although he admitted to checking the score frequently. As soon as the game was over, Young began to mentally ready himself for the playoffs. He’s fighting a nagging ankle injury. Each week, that ankle seems to be more heavily taped.
“Everyone’s dealing with something,” Young said, pooh-poohing the injury. “Everyone in that locker room is fighting through something.”
They were most all out on the practice field Tuesday, though, along with owner David Tepper. The Panthers are pretty darn healthy this time of year compared to many teams, and that has undoubtedly helped.
In the first game vs. the Rams six weeks ago, the Panthers ran the ball 40 times and only threw it 20. Young was remarkably efficient, throwing three TD passes of 30-plus yards and going 15-for-20 for 206 yards. He outplayed Rams QB Matthew Stafford, who may win NFL MVP this year but turned the ball over three times that day.
Still, oddsmakers believe that game was a fluke. The Rams, who finished 12-5 compared to Carolina’s 8-9, are once again a heavy favorite.
For Carolina to pull the upset — again — there’s no doubt about it:
Young can’t just be good. He will have to be great.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
