Bryce Young is presently enduring the lowest point of his football career after being benched by the Carolina Panthers in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton. His future with the franchise is now in serious doubt, as he tries his best to move on and learn from this woefully humbling experience. Before Young does that, however, the shock might have to wear off first.
“A league source told me Panthers' quarterback Bryce Young didn't see the decision by {head} coach Dave Canales to bench him coming,” David Newton of ESPN NFL Nation reported on Monday. People close to the player were “very shocked” by the switch, one that they feel “came out of nowhere,” a source told Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz.
If the former No. 1 overall draft pick was indeed caught off guard by this monumental move, then sympathy is sure to pour in for the second-year QB.
Canales reiterated to the press his ostensible allegiance to Young, proclaiming “Bryce is our quarterback” after the Panthers were decimated by the Los Angeles Chargers in Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. Coaches are not always going to be transparent about their plans when addressing the media, but one would have hoped that he at least gave the 23-year-old a heads up. That being said, it is also difficult to call the benching an unfathomable or absurd decision.
Panthers' Bryce Young is not producing
Young is not getting any better under the guidance of Canales, an individual with a reputation for resuscitating ailing QBs. Expecting a definitive turnaround after just two weeks into the regular season was obviously unrealistic, but there are no discernible traces of improvement.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide sensation looks overwhelmed by both defensive pressure and the speed of the NFL game. Although organizational instability and a leaky offensive line are surely affecting him, Young is failing to adjust to his surroundings. He has just 11 NFL professional passing touchdowns to his name. The Panthers cannot escape blame, but the 2021 Heisman winner is not necessarily a scapegoat himself.
Nevertheless, it is downright devastating to be blindsided by awful news. Misleading Young would risk bringing him even more mental anguish than he might be feeling right now. Hopefully, he can get his head right and figure out how to navigate this big bump in the road.
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