The Carolina Panthers are planning to ease No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young into their offense, making him QB2 at the outset of camp season.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich said primary backup Andy Dalton will be the de facto first-string QB when minicamp begins. Young is Carolina’s projected starter for the 2023 season.
“He’ll have to earn it. Obviously, that’s the way it should be,” Reich told The Athletic on Monday. “We’ll know when the right time is. He’s got enough going on right now. I just want him to come in and learn the offense and not have to worry about stepping into the limelight. Just come in, learn the offense, get to know these guys. When we step out onto the field the first time, he’ll be in that No. 2 spot.”
The Panthers also have Matt Corral and Jacob Eason on their QB depth chart. Corral was taken in the third round of the 2022 draft, albeit by a different regime in Carolina at the time.
Young went 24-3 as a starter at Alabama and won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2021.
Young spent three seasons in Tuscaloosa, winning the 2020-21 national championship as a backup to 2022 first-rounder Mac Jones.
In 36 games for Alabama overall, Young threw 80 touchdown passes and completed 624 of 949 passes (65.8 percent) for 8,356 yards. He holds numerous program records, including five games with five touchdown passes and single-season marks for passing touchdowns (47) and passing yards (4,872).
Young, along with Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson, is the co-favorite to win 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
