SAN FRANCISCO – It was not that long ago that the Carolina Panthers were at the bottom of the barrel.

The Panthers went 2-15 in Bryce Young‘s rookie season after selecting him first overall. The following year, the win total improved to five, but Young also spent some time on the bench, leaving plenty of question marks.

This season, they responded by winning the division and narrowly reaching the divisional round as double-digit underdogs.

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Young set career highs with 23 touchdowns and 3,011 passing yards and was also sacked 27 times, the lowest mark of his career. The improvements have been clear, and perhaps his 2025 season was a stepping stone to living up to the No. 1 pick hype.

“The more experience you get, the more times I have around my guys, I always lean on them, so I’m extremely excited for the future,” the Alabama alum told Fox News Digital on Radio Row in San Francisco.

Running back Rico Dowdle was a newcomer this year, filling the void quite nicely after Chuba Hubbard missed some time. After leaving the star-studded Dallas Cowboys, it was fair for him to wonder if he made the right choice.

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen before playing the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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He seemed rather confident he did.

“It’s always fun doing what you love to do. We didn’t get to the end goal that we set out to do from the beginning, so that wasn’t fun. But it was good. We had some ups and downs throughout the season, had our moments as a team, and this year was a starting point in Carolina, for sure,” Dowdle said.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle celebrates after scoring against the Miami Dolphins during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/AP Photo)

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Carolina had a late 31-27 lead over the Los Angeles Rams last month in the wild-card round, but the Rams scored with 38 seconds left to end the Panthers’ Cinderella ride.

But the glass slipper has been broken, and the Panthers have more shoes to fill.

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There is some concern for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye heading into Super Bowl LX, but the second-year signal caller isn’t worried about his injury designation.

Maye came into the week in Santa Clara with a shoulder ailment, though he and his coaching staff downplayed the severity of it before the big game.

“I feel good. I’ll be just fine,” Maye said on Super Bowl opening night, via NFL.com. “I threw a good bit. I threw as much as I would at a normal practice. I felt great and looking forward to getting back out there Wednesday and Thursday for practice and Friday to get ready for a normal week of prep.”

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Maye was officially listed as questionable on the Patriots’ bye week before heading out west. He also dealt with an illness. But he said he has “turned a corner” since landing in San Francisco on Sunday.

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“I felt good from the flight and throwing out there today. I think it turned the corner, and I really had no doubt being 100% for the game, this is the Super Bowl,” he said. “We get two weeks to prepare for it and do whatever we got to do to get it right. I’ve got confidence and feel good.”

There’s no doubt Maye, an MVP candidate this year, is going to be doing everything possible to be 100% for Sunday’s matchup at Levi’s Stadium.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) reacts after the New England Patriots defeat the Denver Broncos in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Jan. 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

Maye heads into this contest as the potential youngest starting quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl. Dan Marino is the youngest quarterback to play in the game all-time, beating out Maye by 49 days, but he was unable to win in 1984.

Head coach Mike Vrabel trusts his second-year quarterback to get the job done despite some struggles at times in these playoffs.

Vrabel said that he liked how the ball was coming out of Maye’s hand during practices to this point.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver.  (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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“I thought that the ball came out good. I thought it was a crisp practice for Drake and for everybody else,” he said.

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The Memphis Grizzlies have traded away one of their cornerstone pieces in a blockbuster move before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Jaren Jackson Jr., who the Grizzlies took fourth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, headlined a trade package to the Utah Jazz that also included John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr., ESPN reported.

The Jazz are sending back Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks.

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Utah is making a major change with this move, adding Jackson to a team that includes Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George and Walker Kessler, among others.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are showcasing their wish to rebuild, as they are stocked with first-round picks and have a good, young core to build around as well.

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The Grizzlies have a whopping 13 first-round picks over the next seven seasons, which is tied with the Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Memphis also made NBA history, creating the largest-ever trade exception worth $28.8 million with this deal. It’s the type of refresh the 19-29 Grizzlies need.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) runs with the ball during an NBA basketball game between Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

The Jazz have fared worse this season, owning a brutal 15-35 record after losing their sixth straight game on Sunday night.

Jackson was one of the best players in the NBA Draft coming out of Michigan State in 2018, and the Grizzlies added the 6-foot-10 forward/center to be versatile for their team long-term.

He’s done exactly that, earning two All-Star nods while averaging 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game over 452 career games in Memphis.

Jackson is one of the best defenders in the NBA, winning Defensive Player of the Year during the 2022-23 NBA season, while finishing second-team All-Defense last season.

Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts in the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Jan. 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.  (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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Jackson is today’s modern big man, having the ability to shoot from the perimeter as well as near the rim. He has averaged 35.9% from three-point territory and 47.5% from the field this season, while pouring in an average 19.2 points per night.

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