New chart puts Panthers QB Bryce Young in rare air with NFL MVPs Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen

   

Bryce Young was way better than you think.

From Week 8 onward, Bryce Young looked like a new man. He looked like the quarterback the Carolina Panthers thought they were picking when they traded the house to move up to number one in 2023. The bxo scores didn't always jump off the page, but the game film did.

Now, a new chart backs that up. Not only was Bryce Young a star during that stretch, he was borderline the best quarterback in the entire NFL. He led the league in big-time throws from Weeks 8-18.

Based on this chart, Young ranked alongside Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, the last two MVPs. No one had a higher big-time throw rate than Young after he returned, and only Allen, Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow ranked clearly higher in PFF passing grade.

Panthers all about developing second-year QB Bryce Young in coach Dave  Canales' first year at helm

That is as elite of company as you'll find in the NFL. Those are some of the best QBs in the league for the last several seasons, and Young either matched or outplayed them. Simply put, very few were better than post-benching Young.

The box scores won't say this, since Young rarely had huge passing yardages or touchdowns galore, but he was quietly phenomenal. Now, with an improved offense and more time in Dave Canales' system, he could get even better.

If nothing else, he's currently in shape to be one of the best QBs in football. That's bad news for the rest of the league and especially the NFC South.