Carolina Panthers player (Photo via Twitter)
The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Bucs decided to take their beef on the gridiron and into the locker room.
Sunday’s game meant a lot to the Panthers, but they lost the contest due to a brutal fumble by running back Chuba Hubbard.
The Bucs would go on to kick a game-winning field goal.
After it was all said and done, more than one player apparently wanted to settle the score in the tunnel heading to the Bank of America Stadium locker rooms.
Carolina Panthers safety Sam Franklin Jr. was caught in the back being held back and escorted away from where the Bucs were heading into the bowels of the stadium.
Wild: #Panthers safety Sam Franklin Jr. tried fighting
#Bucs players running to their locker room after the overtime loss.— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 2, 2024
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For the Bucs, it was wide receiver Sterling Shepard who had to be pulled away from going toward the Panthers’ side to engage in some extracurricular activities.
The Carolina Panthers Lost But They Can Take Away Good Things From This Game
The Carolina Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home by a score of 26-23 in overtime.
They appeared to have iced the game with a Bryce Young touchdown pass with just 30 seconds to go, but Baker Mayfield and company marched down the field for a game-tying touchdown and eventually a game-winning field goal in overtime.
They lost, but Carolina’s second-year quarterback took another big step forward in his development.
Bryce Young showed signs of growing confidence and comfort in the pocket.
Young finished the game with a line of 26 of 46 for 298 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and an 83.4 passer rating.
REPORT: Carolina Panthers Have Already Made A Decision On Quarterback Bryce Young For 2025 Season
Bryce Young (Photo by Getty Images)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young became the subject of trade rumors after he was benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton in Week 3. Still, the former’s improved play might have bought him another year in Charlotte.
Bryce Young was put back into the starting role after Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident. The first-overall pick of 2023 had his best start in Sunday’s Week 12 home loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, throwing for 263 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions in a close 30-27 loss.
The Panthers will likely finish with a top-10 pick, giving GM Dan Morgan and company an excellent opportunity to draft a new signal-caller. Of course, they could also pursue a free agent (Jameis Winston, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson could hit the open market) or a trade.
But ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that the Panthers must be “blown away by a trade offer” to move on from Bryce Young after the 2024 season. The Alabama product still has two more years under his rookie deal:
“He’s playing better and given that he’ll be entering only Year 3 of a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract, there’s little reason to think the Panthers will move on unless they get blown away by a trade offer. I reserve the right to change my mind if Young falls apart down the stretch, but he appears to have turned a bit of a corner.”
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Young’s first season with the Panthers was a nightmare. He lost 14 of 16 starts and completed just 59.8 percent of pass attempts for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
But Bryce Young has shown improvement since reclaiming the starting job. No. 1 wide receiver Diontae Johnson was traded to the Baltimore Ravens before the deadline, and No. 2 WR Adam Thielen has missed all but four games.
So if the Panthers gave Young another shot in 2025, the goal would be to upgrade the supporting cast around him.
Bryce Young Can Cement His Spot In Carolina With A Strong Finish
Young still has six games left this year to showcase his talents to the Panthers. If he sustains this improved play, the Panthers will quickly decide to bring him back in 2025.
If he struggles with consistency, however, his return to Carolina won’t be guaranteed. It’s up to the former first-round pick to show the Panthers what he’s capable of.
