Will Bryce Young be the Panthers’ franchise quarterback?

That play and others Young has made in the last month should appease critics who question whether the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner is too small or not good enough to be the Panthers’ franchise quarterback.

Young has shown signs that he can be successful when surrounded by a good line, reliable playmakers and a defense that can keep good teams like the Eagles (11-2) from running roughshod over them like they have in the happened in the first half of the season.

It could show that Carolina — among six 3-10 teams and two 2-11 teams vying for the top pick in the 2025 draft — doesn’t need to spend another high draft pick on a quarterback.

“Being competitive is the first step,” said an NFL executive familiar with Young’s situation. “It’s about winning and attracting talent around him. “He’ll be fine.”

The evidence goes beyond the pass Legette dropped. The third play of the same drive might have been more impressive.

Young faced the Panthers’ third-and-11. He lined up with the shotgun, tricked defensive tackle Jalen Carter six yards deep in the end zone, then evaded Josh Sweat when the linebacker got a piece of his jersey shredded earlier.

He then threw another perfectly thrown ball to Legette, which he caught for a 31-yard gain.

“I just love how he’s been able to persevere through some of the things he’s been faced with,” said Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Alabama’s starting quarterback in 2018. “And (I) like it when he stretches feels comfortable out there and plays like that.” he plays.

“This is encouraging for him. I always support him and wish him only the best.”

Young has been at his best in his last four starts. He has an overall QBR of 63.1 with four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and one interception (Sunday, breaking a streak of 125 consecutive passes without one). As of Week 9, he ranks 13th in the NFL in QBR, ahead of Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and every other quarterback in the NFC South.

For comparison, CJ Stroud, last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year who went No. 2 to the Houston Texans, has a QBR of 40.4 with four touchdown passes and four interceptions over the last four games.

With a 4-20 overall record, Young joins Blaine Gabbert, Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence as the fourth quarterback since 2000 to lose 20 of his first 25 starts.

But lately he’s done what’s necessary to show that he can bounce back and have a successful career if the Panthers are patient and build around him in the right way.

“That’s no consolation for today,” Young said of the offense’s performance. “But it gives us a lot to build on cinematically.” …Just being in that headspace is good for growth.

“But now it’s up to us to make sure we actually grow and take those steps.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, said last week that the 23-year-old Young could be a franchise quarterback.

Hurts, a second-round pick in 2020, recognized Young’s potential on Sunday.

“He’s a great player,” Hurts said. “A great player.”