After the Carolina Panthers' 44-38 overtime win, head coach Dave Canales discussed the franchise's future in positive terms, praising Bryce Young's growth and promise over the team's final months, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
"(Having the quarterback position resolved is) huge. It's a great feeling. It allows us to just look at the whole roster to see what the investments need to be. It helps us to think about free agency and the draft with the lens of knowing 'we've got our guy.'
"And now we can build this team with the right mentality. We can find the guys that can come in and challenge our roster."
In his regular-season finale, Young passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 24 yards and scored twice on the ground.
The second-year quarterback finished the 2024 season with 2,152 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 games.
In his final three games, Young averaged 204 passing yards, 2.3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The 2023 NFL Draft's first overall pick led Carolina to two wins over that stretch.
Carolina finishes the year with a 5-12 record. At the time of publication, the Panthers are projected to have the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
