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Why Panthers’ Bryce Young isn’t looking ahead to 2026 first-place schedule challenges appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Bryce Young has a brutal stretch of football staring him down this December, and he made clear he is not thinking about it yet. The Panthers quarterback joined SportsCenter to discuss his growth over three NFL seasons and how Carolina plans to defend its first division title in a decade.
Young’s trajectory has been steady since arriving as the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, climbing from two wins as a rookie to five in his second season before an 8-9 finish and an NFC South crown last year, a run that nearly ended with an upset of the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round.
“For me, just the importance of consistency, making sure that I’m the same person day in and day out in the locker room,” Young told SportsCenter. “Walking into the building, making sure that I’m who the team needs me to be.”
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The 24-year-old was quick to note that last year’s success carries no weight into 2026. “That doesn’t entitle us to anything. This year, everyone starts zero on zero,” he said. “We have to earn the right to want to be our best and work for our best, and that’s what training camp’s all about.”
As the reigning division champion, Carolina inherits a first-place schedule loaded with tough opponents in December, including matchups against the Bucs, Ravens, Broncos, and others.
“We just have to chase our best. It’s a day-to-day process,” Young said when asked about what needs to happen over the next seven weeks to get the team ready for that stretch. “We have a ton of respect for everyone we just named and everyone on our schedule, but that’s down the line. If we start looking ahead this early, that’s when we’re not able to be at our best, so it’s on us to make sure we stay where our feet are, chase our best right now, and then obviously when those challenges come around, we’ll focus on those week in, week out.”
That mindset fits a broader pattern for Young, who threw for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions last season, while helping Carolina snap eight straight losing seasons. With training camp approaching, Young and the Panthers are focused on the process in front of them rather than the daunting slate waiting at the end of it.
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