CHARLOTTE — Last November, Tershawn Wharton was pretty frustrated with Bryce Young.
The Chiefs' defensive end was chasing around the Panthers' quarterback most of the day when Kansas City came to Charlotte last season. Kansas City won 30-27 en route to their third-straight trip to a Super Bowl game. But it was a statement game for Young on his comeback tour, with his second-most passing yards in a game last season.
It was also a statement to Wharton and one he couldn't help but think of when going through free agency this past week, eventually signing with the Carolina Panthers to add some pass-rush pop (8.5 sacks last year, including playoffs) to the defensive front.
"Oh man, I think I like that guy a lot. I really like him a lot," Wharton said of his now-teammate on Wednesday while meeting with local media for the first time. "He saw growth through last year…You know, he got a sense in the pocket that's dangerous. He got an arm, and if he need to move around to get a first down, he could do it. So I'm really confident in him."
Young is not particularly a dual-threat quarterback. Last season, he ran for 249 yards compared to 2,403 passing yards. His biggest rushing performance came against the Arizona Cardinals, when he picked up 68 yards on five rushes and a rushing touchdown. However, as Young became more comfortable in the Dave Canales offense, the coach asked the quarterback to trust his legs.
He didn't have to be Lamar Jackson or Cam Newton, seeking out contact and bowling people over. Rather, Canales wanted his passer to use his legs as a scramble drill in search of the second play, whether it be on the ground or through the air.
"If you got five reads or, you know, you got four because the back got taken up in protection and you get through four—you're going to know the concepts that, if you get through four and there's not stuff that's going to stay on the move, you're going to have to extend," Young explained back in August.
"And from a defensive standpoint, you got to guard four to five sets of routes, and then when you move—our receivers do a great job during scramble drills of seeing that, breaking off their route and then coming at a different angle."
While facing the Giants in Munich, Germany, in early November—and grabbing a win—Young rushed twice for 30 yards. After the bye week against the Chiefs, Young began a trajectory where his play outside the pocket was less of an anomaly and more of a weapon.
It was a major marker on the road to progression for Young and a game that left an impression on Wharton.
"When you're out there, you don't—you know, he's a little guy. So you got to be thinking like 'When I get him, you want to make him feel it,'" Wharton said. "But it's like he got eyes in the back of his head, like he know how to escape.
"He moves around a little bit, and then when he on the run, he can still make every throw as if his feet (were) set."
Now, the only place Wharton has to chase around Young is in practice, and even then, it will be sparingly. And after four years of doing the same in Kansas City, watching Patrick Mahomes at practice each week, Turk Wharton knows what an impactful signal-caller can do in the NFL. He's seen enough of Young to feel confident in the Panthers' passer's future.
"I think he's ready to show that he's a top quarterback."
See the former Kansas City Chief in action.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) reacts after sacking Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) forces a fumble against Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon (25) during a football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) pursues Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) during an NFL pre-season football game Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) gets set on defense during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tershawn Wharton (98) gets set on the line during an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, left, is pulled down by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tershawn Wharton (98) during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup, right, is stopped by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, left, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse (60) gets set to snap the ball against Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tershawn Wharton (98) during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) and New York Jets guard Greg Van Roten (62) line up against each other during an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) gets past Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Taylor Moton (72) as he rushes the passer during an NFL football game, Sunday, November 24, 2024, in Charlotte, NC, . (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) runs on to the field during an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) lines up during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Atlanta. The Chiefs defeated the Falcons 22-17. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) runs with the ball as Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton defends during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton celebrates a tackle during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick, right, scrambles away from Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) lines up for a snap during the NFL Super Bowl LVIII game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
