The Carolina Panthers’ No. 1 overall pick from 2023, Bryce Young, was benched by Head Coach Dave Canales on Monday, Sept. 16, surprising both Young and NFL fans. Young, a former standout QB at the University of Alabama, was surprised by the news, with players, coaches and analysts debating whether promoting 14-year veteran QB Andy Dalton was the right play for the Panthers and for Young’s development.
Young expressed his disappointment to reporters.
“[I]t was not something that I was necessarily expecting. Obviously not something that was great to hear. But I respect Coach Canales and the organization,” Young said.
Starting the entirety of the 2023-2024 season, Young led the struggling Panthers to a 2-15 record despite high expectations after being selected first overall in the 2023 draft. Young finished his rookie campaign with 2,877 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and ten interceptions.
Recording just 245 passing yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions through the first two games of the 2024-2025 season, his lackluster play led Panthers staff and front office to bench Young before week three. Young’s play has been compared to that of 2023 Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick, one spot behind Young. Stroud’s success has left fans questioning whether selecting Young over him was the right choice for the Panthers, heightening pressure for change in Charlotte.
FOX NFL Insider Peter Schrager said that the Panthers front office is “not looking to trade” Young, though it was reported that at least four teams have reached out with offers for the former No. 1 overall pick. The Panthers are still motivated to develop Young through the rest of the season, though benching their franchise quarterback may not be the best way for Young to mature.
Legendary former University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, who coached Young in Tuscaloosa from 2020-2022, spoke on Young’s struggles while on the Pat McAfee Show.
“Quarterback is a really hard position to play if the people around you don’t play well. Do they have the type of players around Bryce Young to even give him a chance to be successful? That’s one of the bad things about being the first guy picked in a draft. You may go to a team that doesn’t have all the pieces that you need,” Saban said.
Much of the criticism in Carolina has been directed towards owner David Tepper, who has presided over a series of recent trades that have not panned out for the Panthers. The Panthers selected Bryce Young after a trade with the Bears that sent wide receiver D.J. Moore, two first-round picks (one of which ended up being Bears’ rookie QB Caleb Williams), and two other draft picks to Chicago. NFL stars Christian McCaffrey and Brian Burns also recently exited Carolina for a return which lacked first-round picks.
1992 and 1993 Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson had a blunt message for Tepper during a Fox NFL Sunday show.
“The owner of the Carolina Panthers, that’s the problem,” Johnson explained. “[Tepper is] making the major decisions without listening to his football people. David Tepper, it’s his team. He can do whatever he wants to, but look at the people that [are] left.”
While Young has not lived up to original expectations, the blame is not entirely on him. Carolina has failed to supply Young with enough weapons to streamline the second-year player’s development and therefore struggle to compete each week. Canales is looking to blossom Young’s abilities and confidence through practice while giving the keys to Dalton indefinitely. The veteran originally signed to help mentor Young, but now faces the task of assisting the Panthers after a sluggish 0-2 start.
Dalton was able to do just that in Week 3, leading the Panthers to their first win of the season and third win since 2022. Dalton dazzled with 319 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 36-22 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Panthers now move to 1-2 and look to build on their taste of success for the rest of the year.
It is still being determined if and when Young will regain the reins of the Carolina offense, but insiders believe he may return to the lineup sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, Dalton proved to be a potential solution, at least for the time being.
Next week, the Panthers face the Cincinnati Bengals at home before traveling to Chicago to face the 2024 number one pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. It is needless to say that these next two games will be critical to see if Andy Dalton will boost the Carolina offense for the foreseeable future in 2024.
