Young improved somewhat in his second year, though it took an early season benching before he turned things around. He got back into the starting lineup Week 8 only because Andy Dalton was hurt but played well enough to hold onto the job. In the final three games, Young threw seven TD passes and no interceptions, with three rushing scores. In that span, he had more TD passes of 20-plus yards (three) than he did in his other 11 games (two). Young's accuracy, though, didn't really improve on the whole, and his on-target percentage for the season was 67.2 -- only Anthony Richardson's was lower -- while his completion percentage was 60.9 (33rd), a scant percentage point better than in his rookie season. The Panthers hope to build on the late-season success, of course, and drafted WR Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall to help Young. He needs more help. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan has good speed for his size and should immediately become the No. 1 receiver, but otherwise the Panthers' WR room is quite bare. Adam Thielen, 35, looks like the No. 2 option, after undrafted Jalen Coker outplayed 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette during their rookie season. The Panthers at least have a respectable offensive line, but their overall roster remains among the worst in the league, making it an uphill battle for Young to even sniff QB1 fantasy status.
