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Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers have gotten off to a horrific start to the 2024 season. Now, the team is reportedly making a change at quarterback in hopes of turning things around.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Carolina is benching the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. Carolina head coach Dave Canales has been supportive of Young in the past, but there’s no denying how poorly the team has looked in starting 0-2.
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
Coming out of Alabama, Young was viewed as a generational passer and one of the best overall prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. There were some concerns about Young’s size and slender frame, but the Panthers were not deterred.
In fact, Carolina traded a massive package to the Chicago Bears, including veteran receiver DJ Moore, for the right to draft Young. He was awarded the starting job as a rookie but the team went 2-14 in Young’s 16 starts a season ago.
Young’s 2024 season is off to a similarly disastrous start. He is completing just over 55% of his passes for 245 yards and does not have a passing touchdown while throwing 3 interceptions. Young has also been sacked 6 times.
It is probably unfair to pin all of Carolina’s struggles on Young, but the team has been outscored 73-13, and that cannot be overlooked. We’ll see how Dalton fares and whether or not Young gets another chance in the near future.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
