Panthers' future will be guided by how QB Bryce Young, offense develops under Frank Reich

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As the Panthers have gotten off to a 0-5 start, they've also dealt with a slew of injuries and a national conversation about topics that arose during a recent news conference from head coach Frank Reich.

Last week, Carolina made a major alteration to its offense ahead of its Week 5 game against the Lions, simplifying the verbiage and minimizing Bryce Young's pre-snap responsibilities. Play-calling duties will remain Reich's responsibility, however, as the Panthers enter a crucial stretch of games.

After all, the future of Reich and his coaching staff is tied to how those changes work and the improvement shown by their No. 1 overall pick. With so much invested in the Alabama star -- not only a top pick but also one acquired through a trade involving multiple first-rounders -- a staff deemed to be QB-friendly must now get the most out of Young. The coaches are well aware of this, based on conversations with those involved.

With the Texans' C.J. Stroud thriving early on and Colts' Anthony Richardson showing immense promise despite his injuries, Young's start has been more uneven. Young's passer rating is just 77.0, with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

The early thought is that Young was given too much to begin the season; too much at the line, too many checks, too much responsibility. Even all-time great QBs like Peyton Manning and Troy Aikman struggled as rookies, likely taking on more than they were ready for. With Young, that could have led the known-to-be fast processor to play slower than the team would've expected.

So last week, with his pre-snap work stripped down, Young was better, and the improvement was clear as