Despite heavy investment, Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young has struggled, leading to his benching in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. blames the Panthers organization for mishandling Young's development.
The Carolina Panthers, owners of the NFL's worst record a season ago, have started off in disastrous proportions once again. The latest shocking development came with the benching of Bryce Young, the team's No. 1 overall pick from a season ago.
Young, who was hailed as a generational talent coming out of Alabama, has thrown three interceptions, no touchdowns and only 245 yards with a 55.4% completion rate over his first two games. His struggles have led to widespread criticism and speculation about his future with the team.
Bryce Young Benched After Disastrous Start to Season
The Panthers invested heavily in Young, trading away high draft picks and veteran receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears two years ago for the opportunity to choose first overall in the 2023 Draft. They opted for Young over Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, who has looked impressive with the Houston Texans so far.
However, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Panthers have mishandled Young's development. In an epic rant on "Get Up" Tuesday morning, Kiper ripped into the organization:
Bryce Young Benched After Disastrous Start to Season
"I think mishandle is the word because when you drafted Bryce Young, you knew he was an outlier," Kiper began, via Awful Announcing. "Russell Wilson was bigger. Taller, but only 5’10" and three quarters. That opened it up for the 5’10" quarterback. But Russell Wilson was 205 [pounds], 208 coming out. Not 180.
"Kyler Murray, because of Russell Wilson, became the No. 1 pick overall. Different body type than Bryce Young. So, you knew Bryce Young was not only short, but a small, diminutive quarterback who needed help, right?"
Bryce Young Benched After Disastrous Start to Season
Kiper went on to criticize the Panthers for making wholesale changes to their coaching staff and offense around Young:
"You draft a quarterback. Everybody says he’s got this great infrastructure in Carolina around him with the head coach, the coordinator, the quarterback coach. Everything’s there. The senior assistant, everything’s in place. And then you see him beat C.J. Stroud on the field as a rookie. You take out the three games he threw multiple interceptions, he was six touchdowns, three picks. That’s some decent games last year."
The Panthers have struggled mightily this season, going 0-2 with losses to the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints. Young has been sacked six times and pressured 20 times, further highlighting the deficiencies in Carolina's offensive line.
Kiper believes the Panthers were too quick to give up on Young, who has now started 18 games in his NFL career with a 2-16 record:
"You go into this year, and you change everything because C.J. Stroud’s doing so well in Houston," Kiper said. "‘We gotta destroy this thing. We gotta blow it up and start all over because C.J. Stroud’s doing so great in Houston. These coaches are getting it done.’ So, we bring in an offensive coach who was with Baker [Mayfield] and others, right? Bring in a new pass game coordinator, new quarterbacks coach for Bryce Young. Then, we don’t play him in the preseason! We play him one series in the final preseason game."
Kiper concluded by saying: "Yes, his confidence was shattered. Yes, he does need to sit behind Andy Dalton for a little bit. But to blame this on Bryce Young is ridiculous. The blame here goes to the organization, the owner for mishandling."
Young will now take a backseat to Dalton, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals who can provide mentorship and guidance. It remains to be seen if Young can regain his confidence and live up to his potential, but the Panthers organization will undoubtedly face scrutiny for their handling of his development.
