Panthers' Bryce Young feels no added pressure with expectations heightened

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young enters his second season in the NFL with the expectations of leading the team to the playoffs heightened ever more.

C.J. Stroud, who was the No. 2 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, helped turned the Houston Texans around in his rookie season and got them to the playoffs while quarterbacks like the Tennessee Titans’ Will Levis and Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson showed an immense amount of promise in the minimal games they appeared in.

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Panthers quarterback Bryce Young with cornerback Jaycee Horn after the game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Jan. 7, 2024. (Bob Donnan-USA Today Sports)

This year’s rookie class also features a tremendous crop of talent, including Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams, Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, New England Patriots’ Drake Maye and Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix. Atlanta Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. and Minnesota Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy were also first-round picks but Penix is expected to back up Cousins and McCarthy is set to miss the entire season with an injury.

Young told Fox News Digital in a recent interview he’s not worried about the expectations from those on the outside looking in on the Panthers.

"For me, I really look at it is trying to do the best I can with whatever’s in the building. I always feel like you want to be the best that you can in every game, in everything you do. And what happens around me and what goes on doesn’t affect any of that," said Young, who spoke to Fox News Digital on behalf of his partnership with BODYARMOR.

"The goals are always trying to work toward something and capture what’s tangible and the goals we set within the building and the goals we have for ourselves are really what I base things on. I listen to people in the building. I listen to my teammates and my coaches."

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Gregory Fisher-USA Today Sports)

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Young acknowledged that there’s always going to be talk and opinions from those in the sports world, but it’s partly what makes sports great.

"Obviously, there’s always the sports world and there’s always going to be opinions – I think that’s the beauty of sports is everyone being able to have that. But, for me, I really focus on what we talk about in the building, what our goals are there. So, what I work on is controlling what I can."

Young had 2,877 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in his rookie season while head coach Frank Reich was fired in the middle of a 2-15 year.

This season, the Panthers brought in Dave Canales to run the team. They drafted Xavier Legette out of South Carolina and traded for Dionte Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team is also bringing back Adam Thielen as well.

Quarterbacks Bryce Young and Andy Dalton watch practice at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields in Charlotte on July 24, 2024. (Jim Dedmon-USA Today Sports)

Young said he’s focusing on being more efficient as a quarterback and improving on what he did last year.

Carolina opens the season on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.