Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is coming off of a rather rough rookie campaign, but wide receiver Adam Thielen thinks we need to put it all into perspective.
During an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Wednesday, Thielen defended Young, saying that Young didn’t exactly have ideal circumstances in his debut season.
He also said that Young displayed incredible maturity and was willing to take accountability for his mistakes.
“So with that being said, I think what he really showed is his maturity over the year,” Thielen said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I think his ability at times to just be very honest in front of the room and say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m not doing very well and this is what I need to get better at and please hold me accountable,’ I thought was really impressive for a young guy.”
Young, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was selected by the Panthers with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL Draft last spring.
He made 15 starts this past year, throwing for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 59.8 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 73.7.
Thielen appreciates the fact that Young remained strong in the face of adversity.
“His maturity level over the season was really cool to see,” said Thielen. “And his ability to handle adversity. 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 was Young’s favorite target in 2023, as the veteran wide out hauled in 103 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns.
It marked the first time that Thielen had totaled 100 catches or 1,000 yards since 2019.
We’ll see if Bryce Young is able to take a big step forward in 2024. Carolina brought in known quarterback wizard Dave Canales as its new head coach this offseason. Now, the Panthers just need to add some more weapons beyond Adam Thielen.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
