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ROCK bottom wouldn’t do it justice for where Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers truly are – but at least the franchise, like any other team, will continue to be profitable, despite their continuous losing ways.
The same can’t be said for the 2023 No. 1 overall pick Young whose career is all but over after the Panthers benched him in favor of veteran Andy Dalton after a horrific 2-16 starting record in one-year plus in the NFL.
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The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Young was thrust into a poor situation from the start.
Remember, the Alabam product was drafted with the first overall pick after the Panthers traded two first-round picks, one of which resulted in an eventual 2024 No. 1 overall pick, two seconds, and star wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears.
Carolina’s traded picks turned into four starting players for the Bears – a team that now has 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams thanks to the Panthers finishing with the worst record last season.
Chicago won’t be done adding talent as they still have a 2025 second-round pick from the trade.
The 2023 Panthers failed Young, who experienced a midseason coaching change, working under numerous offensive play callers, and above all else, being behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
He was sacked 62 times and dealt with wide receivers who couldn’t get open.
Young finished with the lowest passing rating (73.7) for a quarterback in 2023.
In two games, Young’s play has only gotten worse, whether it’s been his footwork, accuracy, pocket presence, or decision-making.
First-year Panthers offensive-minded head coach Dave Canales initially called Young “his quarterback” following the team’s disappointing 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 on Sunday.
However, just a day later, the 43-yard-old revealed, after looking at the film, that Young would be benched in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, giving Dalton the starting role.
Young is now the first signal-caller selected No. 1 overall in the common draft era (since 1967) to be benched for non-injury reasons.
How does the 23-year-old bounce back from this disaster of a start to a football career?
It will be hard for Young to recover from a head coach changing his tune, in a matter of hours, about the quarterback’s role on the team, wide receiver Adam Thielen showing his frustration on the field on Sunday after being open and not getting targeted, and wideout Diontae Johnson seemingly ignoring him on the sidelines on the same day.
A change in scenery for Young can easily take place in 2025.
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It’s not unusual for a team to cut their losses on a highly-drafted quarterback before the end of his rookie contract.
The 2021 first-round picks Mac Jones and Justin Fields were traded away this offseason after less-than-stellar starts to their professional careers.
But it would be eye-opening if Carolina dealt an ex-No. 1 pick, who the franchise traded up to take, after only two seasons.
And the rest of the league would notice.
What would be appealing about Young throwing for just 122.5 yards per game with no touchdowns and three interceptions as well as ranking second-to-last in the NFL with 4.4 yards per pass attempt?
A team could be interested in the second-year player, given his impressive college career with the Crimson Tide wasn’t too long ago.
But there were always concerns about his NFL combine size, listing at 5-foot-10, and 204 pounds which made him the lightest quarterback ever drafted in the first round.
And Young has never been known for his arm strength.
An NFL team would likely acquire him to be a backup.
Young would likely be in the same scenario that Trey Lance is in.
In 2023, the San Francisco 49ers traded the 2021 No. 3 overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys, a team that has franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Lance was a healthy scratch throughout last season and continues to be a backup for the Cowboys.
The Panthers believe Dalton gives the team the best chance to win after they spent the offense making upgrades at the skill positions and the offensive line.
It’ll be hard for an experienced Pro Bowler in Dalton to look worse than Young and if the squad even sniffs being in close games (-60 point differential combined in Weeks 1 and 2), why would Canales play Young?
Carolina owner David Tepper fired Frank Reich last season after a 1-10 start, and the franchise hasn’t made the playoffs in the last six seasons.
Young has been doomed from the start of his NFL career, and no hope currently can be found on whether he can stick in the league.
