Andy Dalton, Bryce Young's backup at the Carolina Panthers, is predicting the young quarterback will shine in his second NFL season.
The first overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft had a tough start, struggling in his debut NFL season with 11 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 2-15 record for the Panthers. He was sacked 62 times due to a shaky offensive line and struggled to find his groove.
However, the offseason has seen the Panthers strengthen their ranks - bringing in guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and trading for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. For Dalton, who has front-row seats to Young's development, he's confident Young managed the difficult start gracefully.
Dalton speaks highly of Young: "I thought he handled it well, and I kept telling him, 'Just stay the course. This thing is going to get better, it's going to improve."
With the new additions teaming up with Young, the 36-year-old veteran is optimistic about the upcoming season: "And I think what we have done this offseason, bringing in some guys, bringing in a couple guards on the offensive line, you know, different things, trading for Diontae Johnson, I think it's getting built the right way where, yeah, it's going to set him up to have a better year."
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Despite the struggles of last season, Young has pledged that team morale remains high. The Heisman Trophy-winning QB from Alabama is eager for his second season.
"I feel like I've grown - I've learned," Young confessed earlier this year. "I'm excited to improve this offseason. Get better at some things - I'm excited for year two."
Young also enjoys strong support from the locker room, who are keen for him to lead the team in 2024. Adam Thielen was one of his biggest supporters during an appearance on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football."
He stated: "Yeah, well, I'll say this: I mean, I think everything was stacked against him last year, unfortunately. And I'm not gonna get into detail as to why that was, but I'm just really excited for him to have a fresh start, an ability to have a good coaching staff that's gonna put a good plan together to help him be successful, and also to put people around him to help him be successful.
Andy Dalton has backed Bryce Young heading into his second year (Getty)"I don't know how much adversity Bryce has had over his football career, and to handle the amount of adversity he did, to show up every week, week in, week out, put his head down and work, try to lead to the best of his ability was really impressive, and what makes me excited about Year 2 with him," Thielen added.
Young is set to face a challenging fight to establish himself as the top quarterback from his draft class, with CJ Stroud leading the Houston Texans into the playoffs. The Texans have also made significant moves this offseason and could potentially go further in 2024.
Anthony Richardson, who is making a comeback from injury, will also be ready and raring to go for the Indianapolis Colts. Richardson shared: "People didn't really get to see everything I could do on the field. So, it's kind of like a rookie season for me still. But now I've gained a lot more knowledge and understanding about football and the NFL. So, I'm a rookie at heart, but now I'm slowly turning into the leader that my team needs me to be. I'm ready for every opportunity that's in front of me."
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