Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is receiving praise after he stopped mid-game to pray for an opposing player in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. During the fourth quarter, the Eagles’ defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered an injury and went down on the ground. In a clip shared on social media, Young can be seen watching Johnson as he is clearly in pain, then turning and bowing his head in prayer. Gardner-Johnson had previously left the game in the first quarter for a concussion evaluation, then returned in the second quarter. He left the game again after his injury in the fourth quarter but returned to finish the Eagles’ 22-16 victory over the Panthers.

The clip went viral, and soon many users were singing Young’s praises. “Bryce Young is a pure class act, and this is awesome. He was raised right,” said ML Football. “There is a very long list of players who would never do this…pure class and it should show youngsters this is how you play the game- SPORTSMANSHIP!” said another user. “He prayed before each game in college so this doesn’t surprise me,” remarked a user. “I’m happy to see him finally coming into his own on the field.”

The 23-year-old Young is in his second season, having had a disappointing rookie season where the Panthers went 2-15. Though the Panthers have had a disappointing record this season (3-10 to date), Young continues to receive praise. The loss against the Eagles came after a dropped pass that could have won the game. “For the fifth straight week, Young put Carolina in position for victory, and for the third straight week, they came up short — but not because of the 5-foot-10 quarterback’s size or any deficiencies he showed during a 2-14 rookie season and 0-2 start to 2024,” noted ESPN’s David Newton.

Young, too, expressed disappointment at the loss. “There’s no participation trophies, no consolation. Coach says it all the time: it’s about us, and when we’re executing, we’re at our best. We’re able to just focus on that, and again, it’s not a consolation for today, but it gives us some stuff on film to build off of, the opportunity to identify things we’re doing well, how we continue to do it, how we build off of it and the same mindset of how we can improve on things,” he said.

“I think just being in the headspace is good for growth, but now it’s on us to make sure we actually grow and take those steps.” Given the praise he is receiving for his good sportsmanship, it seems there are many in Young’s corner to cheer him on.