Bryce Young on taking hits in preseason opener: I feel fine

Panthers rookie QB Bryce Young said he’s feeling fine after getting pummeled by the Jets defense.

It’s okay, everybody. He’s fine!

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young took a handful of hard hits during the team’s 27-0 preseason loss to the New York Jets. But when talking about absorbing so much contact in his very first NFL outing, the 22-year-old sounded like a seasoned vet.

“Yeah, that’s part of the game,” he said. “Football is a physical sport. It’s part of the job description. You’re gonna get hit—and, again, that’s the game we play. It’s part of the job and you know that’s coming. That’s not something I think of. Can’t let that affect your decision-making or what you’re going through.”

Young ate three pops on Saturday—two after a couple of throws on his opening drive and a sack to end his third. Upon that takedown, his afternoon was done—after completing four of his six passing attempts for 21 yards.

While it is part of the game, taking on hits will always be a particularly intriguing prospect for the 5-foot-10, 205-pound passer. Nonetheless, and as he’s always been, Young said he’s okay.

“I feel fine,” he’d later add. “Physically, I’m blessed I don’t have any . . . I feel fine now. And, again, for me—whatever people may assume or may think is going on or whatever the expectations are, I don’t control that. Those are what they are. For me, that’s not something I’ve put stock into. It’s not something that’s on my mind.”

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