It’s okay, everybody. He’s fine!
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young took a handful of hard hits during the team’s 27-0 preseason loss to the New York Jets. But when talking about absorbing so much contact in his very first NFL outing, the 22-year-old sounded like a seasoned vet.
“Yeah, that’s part of the game,” he said. “Football is a physical sport. It’s part of the job description. You’re gonna get hit—and, again, that’s the game we play. It’s part of the job and you know that’s coming. That’s not something I think of. Can’t let that affect your decision-making or what you’re going through.”
Young ate three pops on Saturday—two after a couple of throws on his opening drive and a sack to end his third. Upon that takedown, his afternoon was done—after completing four of his six passing attempts for 21 yards.
first Welcome to the NFL hit for Bryce Young 😳 pic.twitter.com/8NCsi9f7kc
— ding productions (@official_ding) August 12, 2023
.@ii_jermaine COMIN'
📺 #NYJvsCAR on NFLN pic.twitter.com/Tb1w08ecKz
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 12, 2023
Quinton Jefferson gets the sack on Bryce Young!
(via @nyjets) pic.twitter.com/iXDcB4nLCR
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 12, 2023
While it is part of the game, taking on hits will always be a particularly intriguing prospect for the 5-foot-10, 205-pound passer. Nonetheless, and as he’s always been, Young said he’s okay.
“I feel fine,” he’d later add. “Physically, I’m blessed I don’t have any . . . I feel fine now. And, again, for me—whatever people may assume or may think is going on or whatever the expectations are, I don’t control that. Those are what they are. For me, that’s not something I’ve put stock into. It’s not something that’s on my mind.”
