Young was benched by the Panthers in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton, who will start Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Bryce Young was one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the University of Alabama’s storied football program.
So far, that success has not translated to the NFL.
Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was benched by Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton, who will start Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Panthers have lost two games to open the 2024 season with Young at quarterback. He has completed 31 of 56 passes for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions for a 44.1 rating.
“This is my decision,” Canales said at his Monday
press conference. “This is our football team, this is trying to win on a weekly basis. And while it’s my decision, I gather information from the people that are critical to making these kinds of decisions. This is something that I felt gives us our chance to take a step forward in our play style and to be able to compete this week against a really good Raiders team.”
Carolina lost its opener 47–10 to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers managed just 193 total yards, committed three turnovers, and were one-for-1 on third down.
The following week, the Panthers were held without a touchdown in a 26–3 loss to the Chargers. Young threw for just 84 yards with an interception. After the game, Young said he had not lost his confidence as a quarterback despite the struggles.
“I draw my confidence from the Lord,” Young
told reporters after the Chargers game in Charlotte. “I’m very blessed. I’m grateful for this challenge. Not an ideal start, but God does everything for a reason. I have faith in that. We have to do a better job of executing it. Again, I’ve got all the faith in the world in coach and stuff we’re putting in, the stuff we’re calling. It starts with me. I have to do a better job of executing.”
However, Canales decided to demote Young after watching the film of the game.
It is always a tough decision to bench a quarterback who was a first-round pick but the decision will take some pressure off Young and give him more time to study the game. Dalton is a more experienced player and has thrown for 38,511 yards with 246 touchdowns and 144 interceptions over 170 career games for the Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans, and Carolina.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity,” Dalton
said on Monday. “When I came here, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another opportunity to start again. So, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited about what’s ahead. You know, it’s a tough situation. I’ve been on both sides of it and it’s hard for everybody. For me, I’m looking forward to it.”
Young was expected to make an immediate impact in the NFL after a stellar career at Alabama.
As a sophomore, he won the Heisman Trophy after setting the Crimson Tide’s program record for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47). The following year, he became the only quarterback in Alabama history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in two seasons. He finished second in program history for career passing yards (8,356) and passing touchdowns (80).
He decided to forego his senior year to enter the draft, but he has struggled to find that same success.
In his rookie year at Carolina, he threw for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Panthers finished with a 2–15 record and those challenges have continued this year.
Now Young will have to work hard to earn back the starting job and get his career back on track.
Young has a sense of where he needs to improve.
“I think I just got to do a better job with decision-making,” Young said after the game against the Chargers. “You always want to make a play. You want to do something. Obviously, part of the position is being the game manager. ... I definitely take accountability for that.”
