The Carolina Panthers will be trotting out Bryce Young for his third straight start. It’s been an unusual season for the former No.1 overall pick, as he was benched after just two games earlier in the year. Veteran Andy Dalton stepped in from Weeks 3-7, with Carolina going 1-4 in that stretch. Dalton would injure his thumb in a car accident ahead of Week 8, prompting Young to regain the starting job, which he’s kept since.
Young had been floated around in trade talks before the deadline, but ultimately ended up staying on the team. It’s remarkable how just 18 months prior, the Panthers drafted Young to be their quarterback of the future. While he hasn’t been great, the situation Young was placed into wasn’t ideal, especially with his former head coach fired midway through the 2023 season.
Now with Dave Canales at the helm, many expected Young to take the leap immediately. That hasn’t happened, but Carolina isn’t giving up on their young quarterback just yet. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini mentioned that the Panthers want to make the Young situation work on the Scoop City podcast.
They want this to work. That is the tone I get from this organization. It’s unfortunate that it hasn’t been smooth, but there are people there that want Bryce to be in Carolina. I just don’t know if he’s going to be able to do enough with this coaching staff, who I do think ownership has belief in that this marriage can work.
Carolina could very well look to upgrade at the quarterback position in the offseason by either bringing in a proven veteran or drafting another highly-touted prospect. This could be a case of an organization potentially giving up on talent too quickly, as the Indianapolis Colts benched their 2023 first round pick Anthony Richardson a few weeks ago as well.
Young hasn’t lit up defenses like most would’ve hoped, but the situation he’s currently in is a chance to prove his doubters wrong and the Panthers right. He’s thrown for just 694 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions through six appearances (four starts). The numbers obviously aren’t great, but if he can take the Panthers on a win streak while steadily improving his play, he’d give them no choice but to run it back in 2025.
