Carolina Panthers

The Panthers‘ struggles mean Carolina will likely be picking toward the top of the 2024 NFL Draft — for now. According to a report Tuesday, general manager Scott Fitterer might package a high draft pick in order to give Young some help — in the form of a #1 wide receiver.

Who will Carolina target?

The most obvious player for whom Carolina could swoop is Davante Adams. The Raiders star is disgruntled, if not outright unhappy, in Las Vegas — and if the 1-3 Raiders keep losing games, he instantly becomes a trade candidate ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

It’s unknown whether Adams would be interested in going to another team stuck in a transitional phase, but the Panthers can make a competitive offer to any franchise in its search for a superstar wide receiver. Although Carolina gave up its 2024 first-round pick to Chicago in order to move up and draft Young in April, the Panthers still have their second, third, and fourth-round picks, as well as their first-round selection in 2025.

Young’s slow start

Young missed Carolina‘s Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury, but he made his return in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings. However, the rookie made a key mistake in the third quarter, as he fumbled the ball under pressure from Harrison Smith and saw DJ Wonnum return it for the decisive touchdown in a 21-13 defeat.

Young has completed 65 percent of his pass attempts for 503 yards, and he has thrown two touchdowns to two interceptions. Coach Frank Reich‘s playcalling has come into question, and the lack of star-quality talent around Young — most notably at receiver and along the offensive line — are also being viewed as obstacles to the 22-year-old’s progress to this point.

The addition of a top-tier wideout could set up Young for more success, but Carolina will need to bolster several areas of the roster around their new franchise signal-caller in order to contend while he’s on his rookie contract.

The Carolina Panthers will be without the number one overall pick for the first time this season, as Bryce Young has been ruled out for Sunday with an apparent ankle injury suffered last on Monday against the Saints. Young has struggled in his first two games but looked impressive in the second half at home against New Orleans.

Veteran starter Andy Dalton will get the nod as the starting signal caller in the place of Young. Dalton has been a reliable player since he entered the league and was a starter for the division-rival Saints just last season.

This Carolina offense has struggled mightily over the first two games, and it will be an interesting conversation if Andy Dalton can get this offense going. If Dalton cannot find the win this week, Carolina will ultimately fall to 0-3.

Cornerback Jaycee Horn seems set for an extended spell on the sidelines after he suffered a hamstring injury during the 24-10 defeat at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Head coach Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday that the third-year defensive back could be moved to injured reserve and is “expected” to miss a substantial amount of game time due to the muscular problem.

Another serious injury for Horn

Sadly for Horn and the Panthers, this is not the first time the young cornerback has suffered a significant injury in his short NFL career.

Horn’s career got off to a promising start in 2021, as he recorded five tackles and an interception in his first three NFL games. But those were the only games he played that year. Horn missed the rest of the season with a fracture in his foot.

Horn — the son of longtime NFL receiver Joe Horn — played 13 games during the 2022 season and again showed his potential. The 23-year-old made 53 tackles, defended seven passes, and made three interceptions as part of a solid Panthers defense.

But Horn has again landed on the treatment table after just one game in 2023, and the former eighth overall pick will need extended time to recover from this newest setback.

Carolina’s upcoming slate

The Panthers are hoping to spring a surprise in the NFC South this season. The division might send just one team to the playoffs in 2023, and Carolina — led by rookie quarterback and top overall pick Bryce Young — wants to snap a six-year drought without postseason football.

The Panthers have one of the NFL‘s softer schedules overall, but taking advantage without Horn could prove difficult. Carolina hosts the New Orleans Saints in a “Monday Night Football” game to close Week 2 before traveling to Seattle for a showdown with the Seahawks and hosting the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4.

This trio of upcoming games should give us a better idea as to whether the Carolina rebuild will take a while yet — or whether the Panthers are ready to contend sooner than expected.

The player, who is the backbone of the Panthers’ defense, could miss the team’s Week 1 matchup on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Contract talks stalled

Head coach Frank Reich spoke to the media on Monday regarding Burns’ status with the team and raised alarms by saying it is his understanding that the player wouldn’t be available if a new deal isn’t in place before their Sunday game.

Reich said he didn’t have any inside knowledge of the negotiations by saying “It’s his personal matter. And secondly, as a matter of policy, it’s not my role to talk about contracts, even if that’s what it was.”

Talking about Burns’ character Reich commented “My view of Brian Burns doesn’t diminish at all. We understand there’s a business side to this thing we do, and I still respect and admire the way he’s handled himself. Nothing but the highest regard for Brian Burns.”

A change in strategy

Burns is entering the final season of his rookie contract and is looking to secure a long-term deal with the team.

The 25-year-old player did join the team for training camp and participated fully during the preseason showing his commitment to the organization.

Burns, who has changed strategy on the brink of the regular season, spoke to ESPN last week confirming he didn’t want to miss any time with the team saying “No fault to anybody who is not participating, but we’ve got something special, and I’m a big part of it, so I can’t miss no time. I’ve just got to be here.”

The Florida native’s quote from last week and him being absent on a “personal matter” from the team’s facilities on Monday appear to show that negotiations aren’t going well putting in jeopardy his availability for the Panther’s first game of the season in Atlanta.

The team is expected to travel to Atlanta on Saturday morning.

Young has been tipped for greatness and the Panthers are optimistic about his potential, but Brady is helping him to keep his feet on the ground.

“I have never thrown an NFL pass in a game,” Young said after an offseason workout.

“I have no stats, no wins, nothing. We’re all on an even playing field.

“Once you get into the league, where you get drafted, that doesn’t entitle me to anything.”

Young took Alabama to the national championship game, but said Brady told him that he needs to work hard and earn everything he gets in the NFL.

“He said that I have to earn everything,” Young recalled.

“I have to work my way up and prove myself every day.”

Taking advice on board

Young said he is taking Brady‘s advice to heart following a meteoric rise to fame, which can distract some young stars.

“I have to work, I have to work as hard as I can to make sure every day I’m trying to get better, every day I’m improving,” he continued.

Young is the first quarterback to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Panthers and is expected to be the team’s starter in 2023.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner said he is excited to get started and that he is ready to work hard.

“I’m ready to go, I’m ready to get to work and I’m ready to help this team win,” the 21-year-old said.

A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press the fully guaranteed deal is worth $37.9 million. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the terms publicly.

The deal comes just four days before the Panthers are to report to training camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina. All of Carolina’s draft picks are now under contract heading to camp.

The Panthers traded up with the Chicago Bears from the ninth spot to get Young, giving them a potential long-term solution at quarterback – a position where they have struggled to find stability for years.

The 5-foot-10, 204-pound Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 for Alabama, where he was a two-year starter for the Crimson Tide. He finished second in school history with 8,356 career yards passing and 80 touchdowns.

He took over first-team reps in OTAs and is tracking to be the team’s Week 1 starter.

Young, the #1 pick in April’s NFL Draft, recently signed a four-year contract with the Panthers and was expected to take the reins as their starting quarterback. While other franchises have chosen to slowly bed in top quarterback prospects, Carolina is going full steam ahead with Young, who has already displayed many of the hallmarks that define an elite NFL signal-caller.

Zero drama: Young is #1

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, new Panthers head coach Frank Reich kept it simple when asked if the quarterback competition was over.

Yes, he’s QB1.

Frank Reich

The Panthers signed a capable backup for Young, adding experience to the QB room in the form of veteran Andy Dalton. The former Bengals, Cowboys, Bears, and Saints signal-caller has thrown 244 touchdown passes in his 12-year career and will provide quality insurance should Young get injured or struggle early in his NFL career.

Young continues to impress as training camp begins

Based on his displays and performance reviews throughout minicamp and the first hours of training camp, Young is not expected to need long to adapt to the NFL game. He continues to stand out for his accuracy and decision-making — not to mention the strength of his throwing arm.

Confirmation that Young is poised to lead Carolina into the future should provide a boost to Panthers fans, who are hoping the former Alabama star can lead their team to the promised land.

The nine distinguished players who are now immortalized in NFL history are:

• Joe Thomas: Offensive tackle, Cleveland Browns
• Ronde Barber: Cornerback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Don Coryell: Head coach, San Diego Chargers
• Darrelle Revis: Cornerback, New York Jets
• Chuck Howley: Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys
• Joe Klecko: Defensive lineman, New York Jets
• DeMarcus Ware: Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys
• Ken Riley: Cornerback, Cincinnati Bengals
• Zach Thomas: Linebacker, Miami Dolphins

Who is eligible in 2024?

With those nine players enshrined, many have already turned their attention to next year’s Hall of Fame class and who could potentially make it into what is considered one of the toughest Hall of Fames of any sport.

While there are several noteworthy players who have been eligible to make it but have fallen short up to this point, they will have stiff competition from first-time eligible players next year.

Of the ones mentioned above, Antonio Gates and Julius Peppers are the only ones who seem like no-doubters to make it, potentially in their first year of eligibility.

Gates is the all-time leader in touchdowns among tight ends (116) and is third in both receptions (955) and receiving yards (11,841). Peppers ranks fifth in NFL history with 159.5 sacks and made nine Pro Bowls.

Tough cases to make

Brandon Marshall has a real shot to eventually make it in, as he’s 23rd in all-time receiving yards among wide receivers. The same goes for Haloti Ngata, who was a dominant force at defensive tackle and made five Pro Bowls.

The other two are unique, tough cases. Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, both Kansas City Chiefs products, were standout players at their positions but didn’t have the longevity most Hall of Famers do – although it was mostly due to circumstances out of their control.

Berry tore his ACL in Week 1 of the 2011 season after he had made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He then had his 2014 season ravaged by a high ankle sprain and a bout with cancer. He came back and was a first-team All-Pro in both 2015 and 2016, before more injuries cut his career short in 2018. He has a chance, but it will take a lot of convincing for voters.

As for Charles, many will be championing for him to make it in even though injuries capped his overall resume. His 5.4 career yards per carry is the best number in NFL history, but he’s only 59th in total rushing yards. His impressive 2,593 yards as a receiver need to be taken into account, too.

Charles was arguably a top five effective and efficient running back all-time, but with only five years at the top of his game, voters may hold it against him.

For Bryce Young, that has definitely been the case. He has started all three preseason games for the Carolina Panthers. In the first two, he didn’t get much of a chance to shine.

But in the third and final preseason game for the Panthers on Friday night, Young demonstrated why Carolina gave up so much to trade up and get their franchise quarterback.

He began the game by making defenders miss with his elusive running ability.

His first drive led to a field goal, but he really turned it up on the second drive.

He started with a 21-yard completion to Adam Thielen, followed it up with a 13-yard scramble and then finished the drive with a 16-yard pinpoint strike to Thielen.

It was Young’s first preseason touchdown and one he’ll fondly remember.

His chemistry with Thielen was very noticeable, and it seems the rookie passer trusts the 33-year-old veteran over the younger receivers on the team.

Coming up for Carolina

Panthers fans can rest easy tonight knowing their quarterback of the future played well and got through his first preseason without a scratch.

Up next is a Week 1 road date with the Atlanta Falcons, their NFC South rivals who will be starting second-year player Desmond Ridder at quarterback.