Bryce Young talks about recent implementation of play-call wristband

In case you haven’t noticed, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has been sporting a new accessory of late.

The rookie passer spoke with reporters ahead of Wednesday’s practice and spoke about the recent implementation of his new play-call wristband. Joe Person of The Athletic asked Young if having that kind of help has provided him with a certain comfort level, similarly to his college days.

“It’s still a different operation,” he replied. “Still different. But we worked through that when we changed. We worked through the week in changin’ that. And, again, I trust the coaches with the operation they feel is best. So, we went there, we did wristband stuff. Whichever way for me, it’s just how efficient we can be in executing and I trust the coaches in whatever way it’s been.”

A report from this past Sunday by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones noted that the Panthers have been seeking to simplify the offense for their seemingly overwhelmed youngster. So, the wristband—which Young stated is a “collaborative” effort from him and the coaches—is presumably a step in that direction.

Just prior to Young’s presser from this afternoon, head coach Frank Reich confirmed the use of the wristband and talked about tough it is for a quarterback to acclimate to the NFL.

“You play quarterback in this league and throw it 40 times a game and are handlin’ every game and have to make 75 decisions a game, obviously a lot more than that, you’re gonna make some mistakes,” Reich said. “Everybody does. Nobody plays a perfect game. So, that’s a conversation we’ve had—we gotta move on to the next play. If you make a mistake, just move on to the next play.”

Well, at least that next play will be right in hand . . . or thereabouts.