Panthers stars Bryce Young, Rico Dowdle share optimism after making playoffs: 'A starting point in Carolina'

SAN FRANCISCO – It was not that agelong agone that the Carolina Panthers were astatine the bottommost of the barrel.

The Panthers went 2-15 successful Bryce Young's rookie play aft selecting him archetypal overall. The pursuing year, the triumph full improved to five, but Young besides spent immoderate clip connected the bench, leaving plentifulness of question marks.

This season, they responded by winning the part and narrowly reaching the divisional circular arsenic double-digit underdogs.

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Bryce Young hands disconnected to Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers during the archetypal 4th against the Seattle Seahawks astatine Bank of America Stadium connected Dec. 28, 2025 successful Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Young acceptable vocation highs with 23 touchdowns and 3,011 passing yards and was besides sacked 27 times, the lowest people of his career. The improvements person been clear, and possibly his 2025 play was a stepping chromatic to surviving up to the No. 1 prime hype.

"The much acquisition you get, the much times I person astir my guys, I ever thin connected them, truthful I’m highly excited for the future," the Alabama alum told Fox News Digital connected Radio Row successful San Francisco.

Running backmost Rico Dowdle was a newcomer this year, filling the void rather nicely aft Chuba Hubbard missed immoderate time. After leaving the star-studded Dallas Cowboys, it was just for him to wonderment if helium made the close choice.

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen earlier playing the Seattle Seahawks astatine Bank of America Stadium connected Dec. 28, 2025 successful Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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He seemed alternatively assured helium did.

"It’s ever amusive doing what you emotion to do. We didn’t get to the extremity end that we acceptable retired to bash from the beginning, truthful that wasn’t fun. But it was good. We had immoderate ups and downs passim the season, had our moments arsenic a team, and this twelvemonth was a starting constituent successful Carolina, for sure," Dowdle said.

Carolina Panthers moving backmost Rico Dowdle celebrates aft scoring against the Miami Dolphins during the 2nd fractional of an NFL shot game, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, successful Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

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Carolina had a precocious 31-27 pb implicit the Los Angeles Rams past period successful the wild-card round, but the Rams scored with 38 seconds near to extremity the Panthers’ Cinderella ride.

But the solid slipper has been broken, and the Panthers person much shoes to fill.

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