CHARLOTTE — One of the reasons the Panthers have so much continuity on offense this year is that they showed so much progress once Bryce Young got back on the field last year.

But Young said while he's happy about the chance to work again with so many familiar faces, it doesn't change his approach.

During a break in his youth camp hosting last weekend, Young touched on how having the same offensive line, the same set of receivers, and perhaps most importantly, the same coaching staff was huge for him.

"It's a privilege for sure," Young said. "Obviously, the same staff and so much on the offensive side is staying the same. So just for us to continue to build and grow, it's something that we really look forward to.

"But also we know that there's work to be done, and just knowing the work that's necessary to put in, we are excited about that part too, just to grow and build. So it's encouraging. I wouldn't want to be in this with any other group, so we're all excited for the year."

The Panthers haven't gone into a season with the same quarterback, coach, and general manager from the previous year since 2019, so the stability is welcome. But the degree to which the offense has stayed the same is unique as well.

The starting five on the offensive line returns intact, and after re-signing centers Austin Corbett and Cade Mays, along with utility man Brady Christensen , they're bringing back their top nine linemen from last year.

With receiver Adam Thielen returning along with David Moore, they have veteran mentors for Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. With Tommy Tremble back to complement Ja'Tavion Sanders, the tight end room is stable. And they signed a 1,000-yard rusher in Rico Dowdle to pair with Chuba Hubbard, upgrading the running game.

And with all those pieces returning, Young said the next challenge would be building on what they showed in the second half. After he returned to the starting lineup in Week 8 following his early-season benching, he was a different quarterback. He completed 197-of-319 passes (61.8 percent) for 2,104 yards, with 15 touchdown passes and six interceptions (88.9 passer rating). He also had game-tying or game-winning drives in six of the final nine games, showing continued growth.

But Young said he doesn't think of anything that will happen in 2025 as an extension of last year's work, even though he will be familiar with everything when the offseason program begins on April 21.

"For me, it all resets year by year," he said. "We're able to finish on a strong note, which is great, but we're starting next year 0-0, and it doesn't carry over. We understand that we have to build off of that stuff; we're not just entitled to it.

"So, for me, I want to make sure that I'm working just as hard, if not harder, in the offseason, making sure that I have good habits, be as consistent as possible to do all the little things, and we all have that mindset which I'm grateful to be a part of a team like that."

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said emphasis on continuing to do the work was at the heart of Young's second-half improvement. After making the hard decision to bench the former No. 1 overall pick after two games, he was impressed by the way Young responded in the time before Andy Dalton was injured in a car wreck, opening the door for him to reclaim the job. That allowed Young to improve as the collective whole was improving.

"I think it's first-half Panthers, second-half Panthers," Canales replied when asked about the difference in first-half Young and second-half Young. "You've got a group that knew what they were doing and played well together for a while. Bryce came into that with everyone feeling comfortable about what we were doing, and of course, for Bryce, it was just like this eagerness and passion to get back out there to lead and prove to his teammates that he's the guy, this is my team. So I think it was just that urgency and the whole coming together and knowing what to expect, and so it just kind of timed up.

"It was about the whole group working together, you know, the intentionality and walkthroughs and practice, and they were all speaking the same language. That's a normal growth pattern and progression. I was so encouraged by the growth trajectory, and that's my goal for our team every year, which is that we're on this steady trajectory towards improving football. I think it was a whole group just coming together, having the chemistry, and really playing for each other."

Having the whole group back certainly makes the building easier, but that growth mindset Canales talks about is central to Young's personality. Seeing him embrace last year's challenge was a sign that he's willing to adjust. Canales said he's seen other good quarterbacks continue to grow — referring to his time with Russell Wilson and Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa — so he's confident Young will continue to improve.

"I think that's got to be the approach, growth and development," Canales said. "I think there's, first and foremost, knowing what we're doing, knowing what our tendencies are, and then also just looking around the league and seeing what we can incorporate into our game. The cool part about quarterbacks is it's just like you never just arrived. You're always working on your swing. Quarterbacks are always working on their accuracy, their footwork, and all those things that just continue to get better.

"I watched Russell. I watched Geno get more accurate and find a new throw. Geno found a back-shoulder throw last year that I saw come alive on film, just kind of watching him. So it's just like there are always parts of your game you can work on. There's way too much to just be able to say you've mastered it."

For Young, that means getting back to square one work when he returns, knowing he can't take the stable cast of characters for granted.

"I think it's just the importance of continuing to take that next step in growing the continuity," he said. "I think, throughout the year, it was just a process of us finding what we were going to be as a team, as a unit on both sides of the ball. Obviously, there are some more new faces on defense, and I know they'll be thinking the same thing.

"But it's just for us now that you know it'll be a lot of the same guys just take that next step in ownership of the offense, as team ownership of the group since there's so much more familiarity. This time last year, I was trying to figure out what we were doing, and who we are at this time. Since we have the foundation ironed up, just make sure we take that next step and execute."