CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bryce Young addressed the elephant in the room on Friday -- his size.
The Carolina Panthers' No. 1 draft pick stands at 5-foot-10, making him and Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray, tied as the shortest quarterbacks in the NFL. Young is around 25-30 pounds lighter than your average NFL quarterback as well.
Bryce Young on Size
Young spoke to media as the newest team member of the Panthers on Friday. He said when it comes to his size, he doesn't see it as an advantage or disadvantage.
"I always look at it as - I only know one way how to play the quarterback position - being this size relative to everyone around me. So I don't really look at it as an advantage or disadvantage. I think I would have to know another perspective to know that. For me, I try to focus on myself and be the best version of myself, day in and day out. So for me, I know that size has been something that everyone wants to talk about but I've never thought about it. I've never thought about, how am I gonna navigate this? What am I gonna do differently? I only know how to play it one way - so honestly, disadvantage, advantage - it's just me and how I know how the play the position," Young said.
Bryce Young on How He'll Lead
A soft-spoken Young was also asked how he'll be able to command a huddle and rally his teammates. He said he wants to come in and earn the respect of his fellow Panthers.
"I want to establish that respect and how I carry myself and how I work, and that's a task for me and I'm super excited to have that opportunity," Young said. "I hope I can get there one day with being the leader. I think it's case by case - you have to understand what's best for the situation. I don't think there's a one size fits all solution for how to lead. You have to be true to yourself but also have to know the people around you, build that report and know what's best for the situation...I'm excited to start that process."
More on NFL Quarterback Height Debate
The debate over an NFL quarterback's height isn't anything new. It came up most recently when Murray was drafted first overall by the Cardinals in 2019. The jury is still out on Murray's pro career, but he did lead the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021. His 2022 season, however, was a different story - he finished 16th in the quarterback rankings.
As for the top five ranked quarterbacks in the NFL for the 2022 season, their heights are listed as follows:
- Patrick Mahomes: 6-foot-2
- Jalen Hurts: 6-foot-1
- Joe Burrow: 6-foot-4
- Josh Allen: 6-foot-5
- Justin Herbert: 6-foot-6