Multiple NFL reporters suggested shortly after the Carolina Panthers benched quarterback Bryce Young following the club’s second game of the season that his time with the organization was essentially over.
In a piece published on Friday, The Athletic’s Jim Trotter revealed what Panthers president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan told Young during a conversation that occurred shortly after the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft was demoted to QB2 duties.
“Other than your parents, you’re not going to have a bigger fan than myself,” Morgan told Young. “I was here when we drafted you, and I want you to be great more than you even know.”
While Morgan was Carolina’s assistant GM back in the spring of 2023, he easily could divorce himself from the Young draft selection at any time. Meanwhile, first-year Panthers head coach Dave Canales was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator when Carolina acquired Young.
Since re-entering the lineup back in Week 8, Young has gone 2-3 and has completed roughly 60.4% of his passes for 1,082 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. Over those five games, he rushed for 82 yards and a score on 15 attempts.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that Young would have one more win on his record had his defense helped him out late in regulation of what became an overtime loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday.
A report from earlier this week detailed how Young is “throwing the ball with more confidence and operating the offense well.” That story also noted that the 23-year-old is “learning how to become more vocal and showing more command and urgency.”
When the Panthers hired Canales to “fix” Young after the signal-caller endured a rough rookie season, few could have imagined at the time that benching the second-year pro could become a positive part of the process. It will now be interesting to see how Young handles things when the 3-9 Panthers play at a 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles side that should, on paper, dominate Carolina this Sunday.
Will he revert to what he was back in early September if things go poorly at Lincoln Financial Field, or will he bounce back and continue taking steps in the right direction through Week 18?
