Adam Thielen: 'Everything was stacked against' Bryce Young in rookie season with Panthers

2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young battled through a rough rookie campaign.

The top pick played behind a struggling offensive line with a singular weapon in the passing game and little aid from the rushing attack. Young didn’t help himself with mistakes and obvious growing pains. All in all, it culminated in a disappointing first season for a player the Carolina Panthers mortgaged the future to acquire.

Joining NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Wednesday, Panthers receiver Adam Thielen highlighted the hamstrung situation Young was forced to play under in his first season.

“Yeah, well, I’ll say this: I mean, I think everything was stacked against him last year, unfortunately,” Thielen said. “And I’m not gonna get into detail as to why that was, but I’m just really excited for him to have a fresh start, an ability to have a good coaching staff that’s gonna put a good plan together to help him be successful, and also to put people around him to help him be successful.”

Thielen said that Young’s ability to keep his head on straight while everything around him essentially burned showed promise that the QB has the makeup to turn things around.

“So with that being said, I think what he really showed is his maturity over the year,” Thielen said. “I think his ability at times to just be very honest in front of the room and say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m not doing very well and this is what I need to get better at and please hold me accountable,’ I thought was really impressive for a young guy.

“His maturity level over the season was really cool to see. And his ability to handle adversity. I don’t know how much adversity Bryce has had over his football career, and to handle the amount of adversity he did, to show up every week, week in, week out, put his head down and work, try to lead to the best of his ability was really impressive, and what makes me excited about Year 2 with him.”

The Panthers’ offseason has been about supporting Young on the field. The club hired Dave Canales as head coach after he helped turn around the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. They made a big trade for receiver Diontae Johnson, who, along with Thielen, gives the QB two reliable veteran targets. They spent big on the offensive line, shelling out massive dollars to guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to plug the sieve.

Now it’s on Young to take those improvements and run with them in Year 2.