Panthers' Bryce Young named among QBs who will make biggest leap in 2026

It may have taken a little longer than expected, but the breakout of Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young could be upon us.

The 2023 No. 1 overall pick is fresh off a career campaign, one in which he led the Panthers to their first NFC South title since 2015. Since then, the organization has exercised his fifth-year option, possibly setting up a long-term commitment beyond the 2027 season.

While we're not quite there yet, Young got a vote of confidence on a recent episode of the NFL Network's Good Morning Football—where former wide receiver Isaiah Stanback named the 24-year-old as his candidate to make the biggest leap in 2026.

"He's now acclimated to this Dave Canales system," Stanback stated. "You talk about somebody who has continually improved their game, obviously he's been through it, where he was the starter, they benched him for Andy Dalton, he earned the starting job back. Everybody always knocks him for his size, but you can't knock him for his tenacity, you can't knock him for his mentality... this dude is doing a heck of a job of improving as a quarterback... it's only going to get better for this young man."

The short version is that Young has proven he can play at an elite level, as the Los Angeles Rams and the Atlanta Falcons learned firsthand in 2025. He just has to do that more consistently, certainly more than the three to four times a year he seems to average now.