The Carolina Panthers will kick off more than just a new season on Sunday.
Their divisional clash vs. the Atlanta Falcons will also be the start of the Bryce Young and Frank Reich era, and they won’t have history on their side.
According to ESPN Stats & Info (via Ed Werder), Young will look to put an end to a negative streak, as quarterbacks taken No. 1 are 0-13-1 in their first career start over the last 20 seasons.
Among Bryce Young’s opening-day challenges: Quarterbacks drafted 1st overall are 0-13-1 in their first career start over the last 20 years. The last to win was David Carr in 2002, when the Texans beat the Cowboys in the first game in franchise history, per @ESPNStatsInfo
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) September 5, 2023
Werder points out that the last one to win was David Carr in 2002 when his Houston Texans beat the Dallas Cowboys in the first game in franchise history.
Fortunately for Young and the Panthers, the Falcons aren’t exactly a powerhouse right now, so they have a legitimate chance to twist history and put an end to those woes.
Rookie quarterbacks always go through some growing pains, it doesn’t matter how NFL-ready they seem to be or how high they’re taken in the NFL Draft, and not even Young will be the exception to that rule.
Still, the Panthers have a better team than the Falcons at almost every position, and while winning on the road in this league isn’t easy, Young was a dominant player in the SEC for his entire career, and he could be poised to become the next superstar in the NFL.
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