Well, so much for the big showdown between Bryce Young and Jalen Hurts this afternoon. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has been placed on injured reserve due to a blood clot, ironically just as the Carolina Panthers are expected to get right tackle Taylor Moton back after recovering from a similar issue of his own.

In any case, the biggest storyline in today's game becomes Young, who has broken through to a new level in his fourth season in the NFL. That long-awaited surge forward in his development is the biggest surprise of the year for Carolina, according to Kristopher Knox at Bleacher Report. Knox writes:

While some may have expected Young to make another jump in Year 4, his explosion through the early season has been stunning. The 25-year-old has come out slinging the ball and playing like a viable MVP candidate. While the Panthers are just 2-2, Young has looked like one of the biggest playmakers in the game. He has already thrown for 1,268 yards—which led the NFL through four full weeks—with nine touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 100.0 QB rating. Young's previous career-high passer rating was 87.8 last year.

Young has always been an great deep-ball thrower, and he's carried that over into 2026. Where he's leveled up his game is in the intermediate and short parts of the field, where his accuracy and decision-making have taken a quantum leap.

Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik deserves a good portion of the credit, as his play-calling has greatly simplified Young's processing.

If Young can continue performing at a high level for the rest of the year, he's practically guaranteed to get a lucrative long-term contract this coming offseason.