Bryce Young sat out the Carolina Panthers’ preseason opener. He won’t be sitting this weekend.
Head coach Dave Canales confirmed Sunday that Young and the rest of Carolina’s starters will play Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, the team’s first road test of the summer and the Bills’ first-ever game at their new Highmark Stadium. According to NBC Sports, Canales plans to use Young and the other first-teamers for somewhere between 10 and 20 offensive snaps, depending on how those opening drives play out.
Those numbers aren’t set in stone. Canales said the plan could shift based on how the offense moves the ball, but the goal is clear: get Young live reps without pushing his workload past what a preseason game should ask of a starting quarterback.
“We will play this week, for sure. We’ll take it week by week. We’ll get them out there, probably play something similar to what Kenny [Pickett] and that group played in the Hall of Fame Game. So it’ll be somewhere between 10 and 20 plays, depending on how those drives pan out, so we can just get some good work in,” Canales said, via NBC Sports.
Why Carolina Held Young Out of the Opener
Young watched from the sideline as backup Kenny Pickett and rookie Haynes King ran the offense in Canton against Arizona. It turned into one of the wilder openers of the preseason slate. King capped it with a 5-yard touchdown run on the final play, and Carolina walked away with a 33-30 win over the Cardinals.
That result didn’t change the plan for Young. Carolina wanted its starter fresh and evaluated Thursday’s game purely through the lens of roster-bubble players fighting for jobs. Now the focus shifts to live snaps for the players who matter most in September.
The tradeoff facing every NFL staff this time of year is the same one facing Canales: starters need game reps to sharpen timing and rhythm before Week 1, but every preseason snap also carries injury risk. Carolina’s plan — a tight snap count, an early exit once the starters get their work in — reflects that balancing act rather than any hesitation about Young himself.
Young Ready for the Live Reps
Young made clear last week he’s eager for his first live action of the summer, even in a limited role.
“I’m excited just to be able to go out there with the guys. Any time you get to play football live in a stadium, it’s a privilege. Especially being able to go out there last week, you’re around it. Obviously I wasn’t playing, but you get that itch again,” Young said.
Saturday’s game carries extra weight for the building itself. It marks the Bills’ first regular or preseason contest at their new 60,000-seat stadium in Orchard Park, and it reunites Buffalo head coach Joe Brady with a franchise he once coached for — Brady served as Carolina’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021.
A Pivotal Year for Young
This season carries more weight for Young than any since his rookie year. He led Carolina to an NFC South title and a playoff berth in 2025, a turnaround that convinced the franchise to pick up his fifth-year option. Consistency now would cement his standing as the long-term answer at quarterback. Another step back would reopen every question that hung over his first two seasons.
Saturday won’t answer those questions on its own. But for a Carolina team trying to build on last year’s breakthrough, every live rep for its starting quarterback counts.
| Game | Date | Result | Young’s Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Arizona (Hall of Fame Game) | Aug. 6, 2026 | Won 33-30 | Did not play |
| at Buffalo | Aug. 15, 2026 | Upcoming | Expected to play 10-20 snaps |
