Could Panthers quarterback Bryce Young really win the MVP award?

MVP chants ring out in Charlotte

The Bank of America Stadium crowd enjoyed a home win on Sunday night as the Panthers defeated the Detroit Lions 32-26. During the match, fans started chanting MVP toward quarterback Bryce Young after he put on a strong aerial display. While it might be early to talk about the award for a player with past ups and downs, his start makes the conversation plausible. The Panthers are heading into a Week 5 bye before facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.

Young, who is 25 years old, leads the NFL with 1,268 passing yards. He is also tied for third in passing touchdowns with nine, alongside Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, and Tyler Shough. Speaking after the game, Young stated that stats do not matter to him, and the only column they care about is the win column. The team holds a 2-2 record through the first quarter of the season, which is their first even record at this stage since 2021. Carolina sits at the top of the NFC South division ahead of the Falcons.

Ball security and touchdown rate

Young is protecting the ball well this season with two interceptions and no fumbles lost through four games. He averages 4.5 touchdowns for every one interception. His career high for interceptions in a season is 11, which happened in 2025 when he threw for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns. His scoring surge this season stands out compared to his 11 touchdowns as a rookie and 15 touchdowns in 2024. He is currently on pace for 38 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Pushing the ball downfield

Young is throwing the ball downfield more often this year. Last season, he averaged 6.3 yards per pass attempt, but that number has risen to 7.8 yards per attempt this season. His air yards per passing attempt also increased to 8.4 from 6.2 last year. With offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calling plays, Young is throwing passes of 20 yards or more downfield on 11.1 percent of his attempts, compared to 7.1 percent last season.

Strong connection with top receivers

Young shares good chemistry with wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. He holds a 118.7 passer rating when targeting the pair. He has completed 44 of 61 passes to Coker and McMillan for 607 combined yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Even with Coker sidelined due to a quad injury on Sunday, Young connected with McMillan for 14 passes, 192 yards, and two touchdowns in the win against Detroit.