The Carolina Panthers have one of the worst rosters in the NFL – and now they have also buried their hopes in their former number one pick. The franchise has already hit rock bottom in week 3 of the NFL season.
The Carolina Panthers have caused a sensation! The NFL team announced that they are benching their young quarterback Bryce Young with immediate effect. The 23-year-old was actually supposed to be the future of the franchise and a lot of money was invested in him.
In the 2023 draft, the Panthers had the ninth pick in the first round, but the bosses really wanted Young and arranged a trade with the Chicago Bears, who had the first overall pick that year. To move from that position, the Bears received star receiver D.J. Moore, two first-round picks (2023, 2024), and two second-round picks (2023, 2025).
The Carolina Panthers were the poorest club in the NFL and ought to have been selected first overall in the draft following their disappointing 2-15 campaign the previous year. But because of a trade agreement, the Bears were able to claim that pick and select QB sensation Caleb Williams, which put the Panthers in a challenging situation as they were unable to acquire any top-tier draft picks. With two losses already under the belt, the new season is off to a poor start. Head coach Dave Canales responded by making the difficult choice to bench the playmaker. Andy Dalton, a 36-year-old veteran, has been called upon to right the ship and, ideally, start winning. The squad is expecting a turnaround under Dalton’s leadership, but considering the current situation, supporters might be feeling less upbeat. But for those seeking a little thrill elsewhere, the Wanted Win no deposit bonus offers the ideal chance. You can enjoy risk-free fun and take a chance on large victories, just like the Panthers are expecting to do, regardless of whether the Panthers succeed this season.
YOUNG IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM FOR THE PANTHERS
In 18 starts for Carolina, Young has thrown for a mere 11 touchdowns to go along with 20 turnovers (13 interceptions, seven fumbles) while completing just 3,122 passing yards. Admittedly, these are poor numbers, but the Panthers are also one of the worst teams in the entire league.
Young certainly played no small part in his team losing a combined 13-73 in the first two games of the season, with only two of 22 third downs converted into first downs. The fact that he would be given up so quickly came as a surprise not only to the majority of NFL experts, but also to Young himself. According to a report by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Young and his entourage were ‘very shocked’ by the decision. ‘This came out of nowhere,’ a source is reported to have said.
While numerous statistics justify the decision of Canales, who has been head coach of the Panthers since January 2024, a look at Young’s offensive colleagues does not. Because even away from the quarterback position, there are numerous issues in Charlotte, where the Panthers are based.
O-LINE AND DEFENCE WERE OF NO HELP TO YOUNG
A quarterback can only play as well as his offensive line allows him to. As NFL analyst Seth Walder of ESPN points out, the Panthers O-Line ranks 24th out of 32 teams in pass-blocking win rate and 28th in run-blocking win rate. In addition, the defence can’t provide Young with any relief and ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed per play.
‘These are all areas that have little to do with Young’s play as a quarterback and will probably remain a problem even after the quarterback changes,’ said Walder.
TEAM STILL SUPPORTING YOUNG DESPITE EVERYTHING
Furthermore, the team is said not to have turned its back on Young despite poor performance. Adam Thielen, NFL veteran and Young’s receiver, had emphasised after the 26-3 loss to the L.A. Chargers that the team’s poor performance is ‘not a Bryce Young problem’. Even Canales stated after Sunday’s game, ‘Bryce Young is our quarterback.’ However, a day later he made a decision against Young.
‘The only upside to benching Young this early is that they have a fallback, and it’s a move that, to some extent, saves him from himself after two atrocious weeks,’ NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler could find little positive about the situation. Especially since a Panthers comeback by Young seems unrealistic at the moment given the clear decision.
PANTHERS SENT DARNOLD AND MAYFIELD AWAY
The current QB situation of the Panthers is particularly bitter when you consider that with Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) and Sam Darnold (Vikings), the team had two talented quarterbacks on the roster in 2022, and yet they still focused everything on the chosen saviour Young, so they chased Mayfield and Darnold away.
With Dalton, who had his most successful years with the Cincinnati Bengals, they are now simply hoping for damage limitation and at least a few wins. However, a long-term commitment seems unrealistic at Dalton’s 36 years.
PANTHERS MUST LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES
In the end, it could well come down to the upcoming draft again, in which a solid QB class around Carson Beck (Georgia), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Quinn Ewers (Texas) will make their way into the NFL. Then it will be up to the Panthers again to create a much better environment for their next QB.
Because one thing is clear: Bryce Young may have made some mistakes, but he was not solely responsible for the disastrous performances of the Panthers this season and last.
