Bryce Young‘s status continues to be a lead early-season storyline, and conflicting reports about the second-year passer’s future have emerged. For now, Young will sit behind Andy Dalton. The organization’s plan beyond that remains unclear.
With the team so quickly veering from its Young path, trade inquiries are coming in. Several teams have reached out to the Panthers about Young’s availability, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Beyond those clubs, others have debated an overture internally. The offseason looms as the most likely trade window, Schefter adds.
Dave Canales said this week the team was not interested in moving Young right now, and while the rookie HC had said following the Chargers’ blowout win the 2023 No. 1 overall pick would remain the starter, Dalton received word hours later he would take over. Panthers players had grown frustrated with Young, who is not coming especially close to developing — albeit in suboptimal circumstances — in the way the franchise had hoped when it traded a bounty to the Bears for the draft slot last year. And debate around the league about the Panthers’ long-term direction with Young is coming out.
When the Panthers benched Young, word out of Charlotte depicted the change as a permanent benching instead of a move to merely reset the former Heisman winner’s confidence. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the Panthers indeed aim to turn back to Young at some point this season.
The Jets took this route with Zach Wilson in 2022, allowing the embattled QB to climb back up the depth chart — with an assist from a Mike White injury — after veterans were wildly disappointed in the player’s showing. While Schefter adds the door is indeed open to Young returning this season, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is bearish about the Alabama alum’s long-term Carolina outlook (subscription required).
Young had been reassured the Panthers were in this for the long haul, only to see the team scrap a plan it formed in 2023 and then doubled down via several acquisitions this offseason. Young was believed to be “pissed” at the Panthers’ about-face, and although the team is not planning to trade the 5-foot-10 passer now, Russini reports this relationship is fully expected to end in 2025.
A veteran Panther informed Russini that Young kept making the same mistakes. Despite the Panthers signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and then trading for Diontae Johnson to improve on a poor offensive setup, Young sits last in QBR by a wide margin through two games. The second of which produced a paltry 84 passing yards on 26 attempts. Young is averaging a nonfunctional 4.4 yards per attempt this season, and Russini adds that despite any damage control coming out of Charlotte, he is done as the hopeful long-term Panthers QB1.
Young’s scout-team performance this week offered the Panthers some renewed hope for a rebound, per Rapoport, who adds the team had viewed its previous starter as “overwhelmed.” Though, even if the Panthers may well be planning to give Young another shot later this season, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones offers this relationship is “forever altered.”
Jones affirms the Panthers “blindsided” Young with news of the benching but echoes Rapoport’s reporting that the diminutive QB will have another chance to start this season. Neither Russini nor Jones dispute David Tepper being involved in the benching, though the latter pushes back that the oft-criticized owner was not the sole driver behind the move. Most around the league, however, believe Tepper was involved in this benching, Russini offers.
Tepper is believed to have been the driving force behind the Young draft choice last year. Both GM Scott Fitterer and HC Frank Reich announced they shared the view, with separate research efforts producing a consensus between the since-fired HC-GM combo. Though, rumblings out of Charlotte had tied Reich to C.J. Stroud — even after the quickly fired coach had denied strong consideration was given to the Ohio State product. That is well in the past, and the Panthers are now nearing a cliff with the player they chose.
Two years remain on Young’s rookie contract, and roster bonuses of $3.17MM and $4.78MM are respectively due in 2025 and 2026. The Cowboys took on Trey Lance‘s fully guaranteed rookie contract, while the Broncos and Jets agreed to split Wilson’s 2024 money. The Panthers will have an impossible task finding value near what they gave up if they were to unload Young, with Jones reporting a Day 3 pick would be most likely the highest return the team could expect.
Carolina gave up D.J. Moore, its 2024 first-round pick (No. 1 overall) and 2023 and ’25 second-rounders to climb from No. 9 to No. 1. The Texans had backed out of a three-team trade that would have sent them the top pick and the Panthers No. 2 overall, and after Carolina had also discussed No. 3 with Arizona, the NFC South club then dealt directly with Chicago to obtain No. 1. With Young 2-16 as a starter, that move has deteriorated into one of the worst NFL decisions in a rather bad period for QB missteps.
Dalton is tied to a two-year, $10MM contract, and he appears set for a long runway as the Panthers’ emergency fix. Whether the Panthers’ 2024 plan involves another Young look or not, trade rumors — after many QBs drafted in 2021 and ’22 have been moved — are unlikely to cool down before this year’s deadline. Assuming the Panthers stick to their guns and retain Young throughout this season, trade rumblings are almost definitely to follow — perhaps ahead of a deal that gives Young a true fresh start — in 2025.
The next QB should pull an Eli and say, ‘Don’t draft me.’.
Tepper seems intent on having a revolving door there so anybody they draft will just be passing through anyway. The Panthers have become the NFL version of a NASCAR wreck.
Send him to raiders Seahawks giants dolphins or rams for some picks
SentinelATL • 1 second ago
Send him to raiders
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I’d like to see my Raiders take a shot, depending on price. Using Fields as an example, he might or might not be any good, but the coaching and plays matter. As well as the supporting players.
Same with Tua. He went from bad to very good when they changed coaches, changed the depth of target and added a couple of WRs.
He can sit behind Minshew for a year since he’s with raiders for two years $25 mill which is a steal if raiders end up being good
“Dave Canales said this week the team was not interested in moving Young right now, ”
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Did he actually say that? The quote referenced a different article. I thought it sounded incredibly stupid, so I checked the other article. Unless I missed something, he did not say “right now”.
Again, unless I missed something, this is a major reporting faux pas.