Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper just broke a nearly three-year silence with local reporters, and his message was crystal clear: he’s all in on quarterback Bryce Young. Ahead of the team’s season opener this weekend, Tepper made his first on-the-record appearance in almost three years, and despite Young’s rollercoaster start to his career, the owner remains a full-blown “believer” in his signal-caller.
A ‘Believer’ in the Guy Under Center
Dude, talk about a vote of confidence! Tepper isn’t just giving lip service; he’s putting his full weight behind Young. This kid was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, and the Panthers traded away a ton of picks to get him out of Alabama. We all saw the struggles early on, right? His rookie season (2023) was brutal with a 2-14 record, and he even got benched briefly in 2024 for veteran Andy Dalton after a rough start to that year. But Tepper is focused on what he’s seen from Young against top-tier competition. “He has performed at a high level against high-level competition,” Tepper said. “It seems to bring out the best in him. Bryce is the sort of guy that doesn’t feel the pressure, right? You saw it against the Rams twice. When you have that kind of performance, you know it’s there. Can he bring it every single game? I believe he can. You know it’s there. So like I said, I’m a believer, and hopefully it comes true.” That’s big energy from the owner heading into Week 1.
From Rough Start to Playoff Push
Last year, Young really started to show why he was the No. 1 pick. He threw for a career-high 3,011 yards and slung 23 touchdowns, also a career-best mark. That turnaround was huge, leading the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2017! And get this: they won their division, which hadn’t happened since their Super Bowl run back in 2015. That kind of progress, even with an 8-9 record for the playoff berth, is exactly what Tepper is clinging to. Young is now up for a contract extension, and the team already picked up his fifth-year option for 2027 this past offseason. Tepper wisely deferred questions about the contract to general manager Dan Morgan, keeping the focus on Young’s on-field potential.
The Weight of History and High Expectations
The Panthers kick off their 2026 season against the Chicago Bears this Sunday, and the stakes are real. This franchise has started 1-3 in each of the past two seasons, and get this, they haven’t had a winning record since Tepper bought the team in 2018. The historical burden is heavy: they’ve never had back-to-back winning seasons since they entered the league in 1995. Tepper wants to change that *now*. “I’d like to have two winning seasons for the first time in this franchise’s history,” he stated. “So I’d like to win this year, and I’d like to win next year… I’d like to see us string winning seasons. That’s success.” He even went as far as saying this year’s squad is “more of a playoff team” than last year’s. Sunday’s opener against the Bears isn’t just one game; it’s the first step in trying to break a lot of losing habits and validate Tepper’s very public belief in Bryce Young.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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