Panthers excited about future with Young: 'We've got our guy'

Head coach Dave Canales can't wait to see what the future holds for the Carolina Panthers and quarterback Bryce Young, who enjoyed his best NFL performance in Sunday's 44-38 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.

"It's a great feeling," Canales said postgame, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. "It allows us to just look at the whole roster to see what the investments need to be. It helps us to think about free agency and (the) draft with the lens knowing we've got our guy. Now we can just build this team with the right mentality and find the guys that can come in and challenge our roster."

Young entered the NFL as the No. 1 pick in 2023 but didn't live up to the hype as a rookie. He also had a slow start to 2024 and lost the QB1 role to veteran Andy Dalton after only two weeks. However, Young eventually reclaimed the starting role and looked more comfortable, completing over 60% of his passes with 15 touchdown passes and five rushing TDs against six interceptions in his last 10 starts.

Young looked confident in Sunday's regular-season finale, completing 25 of 34 pass attempts for 251 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for two scores.

"That's what ballers do," Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble said postgame about Young celebrating a TD before his teammate caught the ball in the end zone, according to Person.

The Panthers - whose last playoff appearance dates back to 2017 - have struggled to find consistency at quarterback since Cam Newton's first stint with the team. Newton - the 2011 No. 1 pick - was named NFL MVP in 2015.

Carolina finished 2024 with a 5-12 record.