Bryce Young (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The unraveling Carolina Panthers are making a shocking move at quarterback following Bryce Young’s awful outing in Week 2.
Carolina was humiliated in their home opener vs. the Los Angeles Chargers by a final score of 26-3. Bryce Young completed 18 of 26 pass attempts for just 84 yards and no touchdowns in the 23-point loss. The Panthers have now been outscored 73-13 over their first two weeks.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Panthers head coach Dave Canales is benching Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. Carolina is in Las Vegas this week to take on the 1-1 Raiders.
Despite a new head coach, a revamped offensive line and a new set of playmakers, Bryce Young has struggled out of the gate in 2024. The 2023 first overall pick has completed only 55.4 percent of pass attempts for 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while taking six sacks.
Sources: The #Panthers are benching former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and starting veteran Andy Dalton beginning this week.
Coach Dave Canales has repeatedly said “Bryce is our quarterback.” But with the season quickly slipping away, Canales decided to make a change. pic.twitter.com/jTYawQCi2C
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 16, 2024
Though Young can only take so much of the blame, his rookie season left a lot to be desired as well. The Alabama product went 2-14 with 2,877 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
It also looked bad on Bryce Young when Dalton put together an excellent performance on the road against the Seattle Seahawks last year. Dalton threw for 361 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 37-27 loss.
Benching Bryce Young Is The Smart Play For Now
Carolina shouldn’t give up on Bryce Young just yet, but it’s obvious that his confidence is at an all-time low. Young is taking too many hits and still struggling to read NFL defenses, so giving the 23-year-old some rest and time away is the wise long-term play.
But it’s clear that the problem in Carolina is an organizational thing and not on the quarterback. Just look at how ex-Panthers quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are faring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.
