CHARLOTTE— Bryce Young stepped to the mic and, as has become his norm in recent months, opened his press conference soliciting questions from the media, instead of the other way around.
"One story, like who has the craziest little offseason, like something like go somewhere crazy, experience something," Young asked off the top. "If anyone has something that's like, 'I for sure got something that's the best here.' I know someone's got something these last couple of months."
He listened and commented on one local reporter's tale about watching baby sea turtles hatch, requested more stories and finally acquiesced when asked to recount his own summer adventures, namely a trip to Minnesota with the Panthers receiving corps for workouts and a lake day, during which he did NOT get in the water, much to Xavier Legette's chagrin.
"I'll be honest with you, I don't mind water. I don't like being like, I don't like sitting around being wet if that makes sense," Young defended himself on Wednesday. "I don't like, like after you get out of the water, your clothes, your shorts are wet, I don't like that feeling."
There's an ease that comes with opening a post-training camp presser this way, part and parcel of a guy truly growing comfortable with his role as QB1 of an NFL team, and what it means to be the face and voice of a program. It's also why he's able to kick off this, his third training camp as the starter, with a sense of confidence that hasn't always been there in the past.
"I'm super confident," answered Young. "Again, that comes from just this building, being able to rely on my teammates, coaching staff, who're around me; that's really what I get my confidence from, and I'm grateful to be a part of the organization."
The people in the building add confidence in large part because they are still the same people Young saw last year. His coaching staff stayed the same, save a position change here or there, but the head coach and coordinator returned, meaning his playbook stayed the same. He didn't lose a starting receiver from 2024, as well as returning the offensive line unit. And his play, not only towards the end of last season but also during OTAs, means he walked onto the practice field Wednesday with the best outlook towards training camp he's had since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2023.
"I think all of us as a team, having a year last year and then going into this year of just buying into the culture, buying into coach's message, you know, buying into to everything that he presents to us on a day to day basis, we've already bought in and now it's just making it our own," said Young.
Honestly, the most significant changes Young has dealt with this offseason, and now in training camp, are the addition of two receivers, both of whom have a chance to be contributors: No. 8 overall rookie Tetairoa McMillan and free agent former Pro Bowler Hunter Renfrow.
The latter still brings a sense of ease thanks to his five years of experience.
"Just seeing his, he has such a great feel for the game, versus man, versus zone. He just has a great, great knack for getting open," Young bragged of Renfrow. "He understands concepts, understands defensive leverage, does a really good job at the top of routes, creating separation, giving indicators, really friendly and easy to throw to as a quarterback. So, you know, super excited to continue to build chemistry with him."
And the former has folded himself into the offense with time together off the field, workouts, and leaning on guys like Young.
"I appreciate him for just wanting to have open communication, open dialogue," he said of McMillan. "He's someone who always wants to talk, always wants to be on the same page, always wants to learn from anyone, from other receivers, coaches."
There was a time, for better or for worse, when receivers would go to Young to discuss specific plays, but not overall strategies. It was a team, and a quarterback, working in the same direction but not necessarily together. Young has put in time, effort, and intentionality to change that over the past year, resulting in that higher level of confidence this training camp.
"My expectation for Bryce is to lead this team," said Dave Canales, "which he never stopped doing all throughout last year, even with the challenges that it presented, but he just came right back in.
"From the moment we went out there for center quarterback exchange, it's like his familiarity with the system, his command of everything is just like, we just picked up where we left off in the spring, to be able to push our concepts and our systems forward, which is really the goal.
"Can we master this so we can add little nuances? And so I feel like, coming in with that type of rhythm and the type of command, gives us a chance to continue to grow those things."
Added Young, "I think we're relying on each other, as we all do, just within the team.
"We give each other that comfort to have confidence and to go into the year, how we want to feel, and then, you know, right now obviously camp is when we continue to earn that."
