The Carolina Panthers suffered a disappointing upset on Sunday, losing 17-7 to the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. Starting quarterback Bryce Young really struggled. We're reaching the point where the Panthers must have a difficult conversation about Young's future.
Young completed 17-of-25 passing attempts for 124 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, and lost a fumble. It marked the second consecutive game Young failed to throw a touchdown and committed at least one turnover.
The third-year quarterback has not played well this season. Young has thrown for 200 yards once this campaign. It happened in Week 2 in a garbage-time defeat versus the Arizona Cardinals. Young has endured seven consecutive appearances with fewer than 200 passing yards. He's not executing Dave Canales' offense efficiently.
Young's interception versus the Saints was a terrible decision with the Panthers trying to mount a fourth-quarter comeback. The former No. 1 overall quarterback locked in on his sideline target and threw a duck that was easily intercepted by cornerback Alontae Taylor. The Saints took over possession at Carolina's 42-yard line and scored a touchdown five plays later, extending their lead to an out-of-reach 17-7.
ALONTAE WILL TAKE THAT
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 9, 2025
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/a8QEjddEDv
The Panthers are a respectable 5-5, trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by one victory for the NFC South lead. Prior to Sunday's setback versus the Saints, the Panthers had been enjoying a four-game winning streak. Young was often a passenger in those contests, however.
Rico Dowdle ran for a combined 389 yards throughout the first two victories, granted Young threw three touchdowns against a horrid Dallas Cowboys defense. The third victory was a 13-6 borefest over the lowly New York Jets. The Panthers then upset the Green Bay Packers 16-13 thanks to 130 rushing yards from Dowdle and two forced turnovers.
Young currently ranks 25th in the NFL in passing yards (1,514). Right in front of him is Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was benched two games ago. Young's quarterback rating (79.7) ranks 31st, and his adjusted QBR (40.7) ranks 29th out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks.
Young isn't pushing the ball downfield aggressively. His 5.6 yards per passing attempt is only better than backup quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Tyrod Taylor, and rookie QB Dillon Gabriel. Young has been at 5.5 yards per attempt or lower in three straight games. The Panthers rank 30th in passing (164.0/game), only better than the Jets and the Tennessee Titans. These are unacceptable results.
The biggest roadblock to the Panthers replacing Young this offseason is their current draft position. The live order has them choosing at No. 16. Our latest first-round mock draft has Carolina taking cornerback Mansoor Delane.
The Panthers are currently nowhere close enough to the top of the draft order to consider Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, or Dante Moore. And given what they parted with to acquire Young in 2023, another aggressive trade-up is probably out of the question. The Panthers would need to conclude the campaign with a top-10 selection to draft a quarterback.
Alternatively, general manager Dan Morgan can consider acquiring a veteran quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray could be among the available options this offseason. Morgan should leave no stone unturned given Young's struggles.
Young has been among the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL. The Panthers are staying afloat thanks to dominant rushing performances and a stout defense. There is officially a quarterback problem in Carolina. If things don't improve fast, the Panthers should consider replacing Young via the draft or veteran market this offseason.