Bryce Young: Panthers Must Earn Success in 2026, Forget Past Records

The Carolina Panthers closed out last season with an 8-9 record, a mark that not only snapped their losing streak but also delivered a franchise milestone: the team’s first NFC South championship since 2017 and its first playoff appearance in six years. Their postseason run ended in dramatic fashion, falling to the Los Angeles Rams on a final-minute touchdown in a wild fourth quarter. That near-miss left the organization optimistic about its upward trajectory heading into 2026.

Quarterback Bryce Young addressed the team’s progress on Tuesday, acknowledging the positives from last season while firmly rejecting any sense of entitlement moving forward. Speaking through the Panthers’ official website, Young emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency without relying on past results.

"Obviously, we want to make sure that we can be consistent with some of the positives from last year, but also we understand that last year was last year. This is a new season. We all start 0-0. There's no carryover; we're not entitled to anything, so I'm super grateful for that being our mindset as a team. Everyone knows we can't take our foot off the gas. We have to work just as hard, if not harder, as we have these last few years. Everything's earned, and now it's not the time to be thinking about records or anything like that. It's just about the work. Coach talks about that in the meetings. Now is just the time to win every single day, capture our best, so we're focused on that."

As the team’s starting quarterback, Young’s leadership role aligns with head coach Dave Canales’s vision for his development. In February, Canales expressed his desire to see Young "continue to grow in the ownership" of the Panthers’ offense. Young confirmed that his offseason focus has centered on mastering the offensive scheme, with on-field execution serving as the foundation for avoiding regression in 2026.