Bryce Young, the top pick in this year's NFL draft, was forced out of action last week due to an ankle injury sustained the week before.
Without him, the Carolina Panthers fell to 0-3. In a rebuilding year, that's not important, but what is important is to get the young signal caller as many reps as possible.
Will he be able to do that in Week 4?
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Bryce Young injury update
Bryce Young did not practice at all during last week's run-up to the game. On Friday, he was officially ruled out with an ankle injury sustained late in the game against the New Orleans Saints.
He stayed in that game to finish it out and attempt a comeback, leading a touchdown drive late on. However, he did not play against the Seattle Seahawks. Coach Frank Reich said the team was continuing to evaluate Young.
Augusta Stone reported on the variety of injuries the Panthers are facing:
"Panthers HC Frank Reich ... says they are going through the concussion protocol with WR Jonathan Mingo, and they're also continuing to evaluate QB Bryce Young. So not a ton of news from yesterday."
The Panthers would like to get their first overall pick back on the field as soon as possible. Right now, it remains to be seen when that will happen.
What happened to Bryce Young?
Bryce Young scrambled for what was initially ruled a key third-down conversion in the second half of the Week 2 matchup.
Before he got to the marker, he tried to make a move on a defender and stumbled a bit on the turf. He slipped and fell forward as he was tackled and was later ruled inches short.
That play appears to be where he suffered the injury to his right ankle. He was able to stay in the game and never appeared to be hobbling, but adrenaline may have played a factor.
He was unable to practice at all last week as a result and was held out. Andy Dalton was used in his stead, and threw the ball for over 300 yards. The Panthers opened up the playbook and allowed Dalton to sling it, giving him 58 pass attempts in the comeback bid.
That's almost as many (71 pass attempts) Young had in the first two games of the season. The wide receivers also got some separation, as the Seattle Seahawks do not have as good of a secondary as the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons do.
When will Bryce Young return?
Bryce Young could return this weekend after a full week off. As he was not diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and the team did not say he'd be out multiple weeks, he's considered day-to-day.
It's likely that the Panthers will be careful with their prized investment. Nevertheless, if he's practicing at all, it could be in a larger capacity than he did last week.
If he's not able to play against the Vikings this week, he could be in line to return to the lineup in Week 5 against the Detroit Lions.
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