The Carolina Panthers held their breath early in today’s game against the Falcons when quarterback Bryce Young went down hard after a sack by Billy Bowman in the first quarter. Young was clearly in pain, but was able to walk off and into the locker room with the medical staff. 

While the Panthers have yet to release an official injury report, a notable voice in the physical therapy community has offered some initial insight. Dr. Tom Christ, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, weighed in on the injury mechanism on his X account.

“Bryce Young #panthers Awaiting report on what exactly is injured but I see the defender stepping on his right ankle creating an eversion force that can lead to a high ankle sprain. Young had a right high ankle sprain earlier this season.”

The Carolina Panthers were off to exactly the start they needed against the Falcons in Week 11. Quarterback Bryce Young was on fire, completing eight of his first nine passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, clearly showing how much he wanted this divisional win. Then, disaster struck.

After a hard sack, Young went down clutching his ankle. You could tell just how bad he wanted to stay in the game, but with the training staff forcing the issue, he was eventually helped off and headed to the locker room. Suddenly, the hot start cooled, and veteran Andy Dalton was tossed into the fire to take over.

For a terrifying few minutes, Carolina faced a grim prospect: losing their franchise QB again, especially since he had already missed time earlier this season with an ankle problem. Another serious injury, so shortly after returning, would have been devastating for the team’s momentum.

Thankfully, the scare was short-lived. Young was officially listed as “questionable to return,” but he showed his determination by re-entering the game before the end of the second quarter, ready to take back the reins of the offense.

The Panthers face a tough situation in the week 11 game 

When the Panthers and Falcons clashed back in Week 3, both NFC South rivals were still figuring things out, trying to establish their true identity for the 2025 season. Fast forward to Week 11, and while consistency is still a major headache for both, they at least have a much clearer, albeit flawed, picture of their strengths and weaknesses. That’s why the brief injury scare with the QB was such a gut punch!

Young’s quick return is incredibly good news, especially considering how dynamite the offense looked on the opening drive. The Panthers came into this game aiming to finally unleash their downfield passing attack against the Falcons’ defense, and they executed perfectly right out of the gate.

He hit three different passes of ten yards or more and capped the drive off by connecting with rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan for the score.

That was exactly the promising, aggressive start Carolina wanted, and the team will be desperate to keep that downfield momentum rolling now that their franchise quarterback is back on the field.

We’ll have to hang tight to hear what the players have to say about the injury scare and the game plan adjustment now that he’s back.