Panthers rookie Bryce Young compared to Jets’ Aaron Rodgers

Knowledgeable individuals are comparing Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young to New York Jets starter Aaron Rodgers amid joint practices between the two clubs. 

“When I watched Bryce coming out, I saw some pretty good instincts and pretty good pocket movement,” one unnamed coach who “worked with the future Hall of Famer and studied Young before (this year’s) draft” recently told David Newton of ESPN. “He doesn’t have nearly the arm strength Aaron Rodgers has, but that’s not a bad thing. Aaron is just really special that way. One of the best ever. But in Bryce, I saw a guy that could run the offense, and he knew where to go with the ball.” 

Of course, Rodgers and Young differ in multiple ways. The 39-year-old listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds spent his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers serving as a backup behind Brett Favre. Young, meanwhile, famously measured at 5-foot-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at this year’s combine, and he’s on track to start Carolina’s regular-season opener at the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 10. 

Nevertheless, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes both Young and Rodgers possess a “creativity in the arm angle that doesn’t have a top and doesn’t have a bottom” that allows the signal-callers “to make whatever throws they want to in that moment.” 

Rodgers spoke with media members on Wednesday and advised Young to “be gentle with yourself” and remember that the first-year pro has “a long journey” ahead of him in the league. With that said, Panthers head coach Frank Reich didn’t necessarily pump the brakes as it pertains to mentioning similarities between the quarterbacks. 

“That’s the thing with Aaron, he not only can throw at all those different arm angles but the speed at which the ball gets out, there’s a special skill set for that,” Reich explained. “We believe Bryce has that same skill set.” 

If Young accomplishes even half of what Rodgers has already achieved at the highest level, the Panthers should have no regrets about spending the first overall pick of his year’s draft on the Alabama Crimson Tide product.