NFL news: Bryce Young, Rico Dowdle confident in Panthers’ future after playoff appearance

SAN FRANCISCO – It was not that long ago that the Carolina Panthers were at the bottom of the barrel.

The Panthers went 2-15 in Bryce Young‘s rookie season after selecting him first overall. The following year, the win total improved to five, but Young also spent some time on the bench, leaving plenty of question marks.

This season, they responded by winning the division and narrowly reaching the divisional round as double-digit underdogs.

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Bryce Young hands off to Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Young set career highs with 23 touchdowns and 3,011 passing yards and was also sacked 27 times, the lowest mark of his career. The improvements have been clear, and perhaps his 2025 season was a stepping stone to living up to the No. 1 pick hype.

“The more experience you get, the more times I have around my guys, I always lean on them, so I’m extremely excited for the future,” the Alabama alum told Fox News Digital on Radio Row in San Francisco.

Running back Rico Dowdle was a newcomer this year, filling the void quite nicely after Chuba Hubbard missed some time. After leaving the star-studded Dallas Cowboys, it was fair for him to wonder if he made the right choice.

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen before playing the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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He seemed rather confident he did.

“It’s always fun doing what you love to do. We didn’t get to the end goal that we set out to do from the beginning, so that wasn’t fun. But it was good. We had some ups and downs throughout the season, had our moments as a team, and this year was a starting point in Carolina, for sure,” Dowdle said.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle celebrates after scoring against the Miami Dolphins during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/AP Photo)

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Carolina had a late 31-27 lead over the Los Angeles Rams last month in the wild-card round, but the Rams scored with 38 seconds left to end the Panthers’ Cinderella ride.

But the glass slipper has been broken, and the Panthers have more shoes to fill.

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