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PHILADELPHIA (WBTV) - Panthers quarterback Bryce Young went viral after he stopped to pray for an opposing player who was injured during Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The injury happened with about 12 minutes left in the second quarter of the Oct. 18 game, when Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard and Taylor Moton were blocking Philadelphia’s Nolan Smith.
Smith laid face down as medical staff tended to him before he got up and walked off the field under his own power. He was diagnosed with a concussion and missed the rest of the game.
While Smith was on the ground, Young -- who completed a 19-yard pass on the same play -- walked back and stood next to Smith and bowed his head for several seconds.
Broadcast cameras caught the moment, and the NFL on CBS later posted the clip to its social media accounts. On Instagram, the post got nearly 40,000 likes. Out of more than 100 posts on the account Sunday, Young’s prayer was one of the most-liked.
“As an Eagles fan, I have major respect for Bryce,” one person commented. “What a great example of sportsmanship and love.”
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“Eagles fan, but they could never make me hate bryce young seems like a genuinely good human being,” another wrote.
Smith had just sacked Young two possessions earlier.
Such moments don’t always go viral, but praying for injured players has become a habit of Young’s when he is on the field.
Young had another similar moment that went viral the last time the Panthers played the Eagles in Philadelphia, back in 2024. During that game, he stopped to pray for then-Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Unlike the 2024 game, Young and the Panthers got out of Philadelphia with a win this time around.
Young’s 281 passing yards and two touchdowns helped power Carolina to a 25-14 win on Sunday. Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard added 120 rushing yards and a score.
Even with a Week 5 bye, Young ranks sixth in the NFL in passing yards after the Eagles win, and first in yards per game.
As a team, only the Chiefs offense is averaging more total yards per game than the Panthers, and only the Bills, Lions and 49ers are scoring more points in 2026.
The Panthers’ strong offensive start to the 2026 season has propelled Young into early MVP conversations. For the second game in a row, “MVP” chants rained down on the Carolina quarterback -- this time on the road.
Next up on the schedule is a home date against the NFC South rival Buccaneers this Sunday, Oct. 25. Tampa Bay could get starting quarterback Baker Mayfield back for the Week 7 matchup.
Kickoff for the Panthers-Buccaneers game is set for 1 p.m.