The Carolina Panthers have had a tough beginning to the 2024 NFL season. Bryce Young struggled in the season opener and Carolina's defense surrendered 47 points to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers also learned on Monday that one of their top defensive stars, Derrick Brown, could miss the rest of the 2024 season.
Reinforcements are on the way. The Panthers plan to sign veteran defensive end Charles Harris, per Tom Pelissero.
Harris is a former 2017 first-round pick who had a breakout season with the Detroit Lions in 2021. He logged 65 total tackles and seven-and-a-half sacks during his 2021 breakout campaign to earn a second contract.
Harris will join former Lions defensive line coach Todd Wash in Carolina.
The Panthers need all the help they can get on the defensive side of the ball. Carolina's defense got shredded for 47 points in Week 1, in part because of the offense's three turnovers and inability to sustain drives.
Carolina has a chance to get things back on track when they host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
ESPN's Dominique Foxworth drops take about benching Panthers QB Bryce Young
Week 1 was not pretty for Bryce Young. The second-year QB went 13 of 30 for 161 yards and two interceptions in his 2024 debut.
ESPN analyst Dominique Foxworth shared a bold take on what the Panthers should consider doing next.
“I feel like after last season, he didn’t have much confidence, and then he came in and turned the ball over the first play of the game,” Foxworth said. “There was no confidence left to hemorrhage. There’s a difference between when you completely give up on him or when you bench him. I think if things don’t get better, benching him is the best thing for him and for this team. I guess you go with Andy Dalton, but I guess he was a professional starter in this league at one point. A Joe Flacco-level quarterback.”
Foxworth brings up a good point – how much worse could this get? NFL fans always seem to fear that their team will destroy a QB's confidence by benching him. In this case, the Panthers could be rescuing Young from an awful situation and letting him recenter himself.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales was critical of Young's Week 1 performance when speaking with media after the game.
“I need to make it about the basics and just look at each play as isolated incidents,” Canales said. “Look at the play. What was the break down? Was it timing, was it footwork? Was it protection? You know, there's a lot of factors that go in and I think that if you can be objective about looking at the breakdown of the play itself, then it allows you to improve. That's what I'm looking forward to.”
Carolina will need to figure something out ASAP before the fans start calling for Young to be benched.
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