After the Carolina Panthers benched quarterback Bryce Young, support came in from everywhere. Former Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield shared some words of encouragement with the second-year player. Most importantly, Panthers running back Miles Sanders spoke to the media on Wednesday with some encouraging words he had for his quarterback.
“It’s not over for Bryce,” Sanders said, via Alex Zietlo of The Charlotte Observer.
Young has had a less-than-impressive start to his NFL career. In his rookie season, he threw for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also had a 59.8 completion percentage. While Young's most reliable weapons were Adam Thielen, Chuba Hubbard and Sanders, the former Alabama quarterback had no protection. He was sacked 62 times throughout the year.
Fast forward to the 2024 season and it didn't look promising for Young. Through two games, he threw for 245 yards, three interceptions, and was sacked six times. As a result, Panthers head coach Dave Canales pulled the plug and is letting backup quarterback Andy Dalton take the reins of the starting job. It's a final blow for Young, who had an opportunity to shine under the first-year head coach.
How can Panthers' Bryce Young use what Miles Sanders said as motivation?
Losing the starting job as a No.1 overall pick is as low as it can get for a starting quarterback. Young was the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a National Championship. Previously, he won the high school state championship as the quarterback of the prestigious Mater Dei High School.
Even though the success hasn't translated to the pros, Young is only in his second season. Without many weapons and a solid offensive line, life is difficult for the Panthers quarterback. Although they gave him some weapons like rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette, it doesn't help Young's progression.
The good news for Young is that he's not the first former No. 1 overall quarterback to struggle in his first couple of seasons. Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning held the record for most interceptions by a rookie in their first season with 28. Young was nowhere near close to that metric like Manning was.
Regardless of their playstyles, they both have a similar background. High school state champions, Heisman trophy winners, and first overall picks. Can Young turn into Manning? No one knows but it's important to give a quarterback time to develop, which he hasn't had.
The Panthers take on the Las Vegas Raiders in a Week 3 showdown, where Young will be on the sidelines, watching Dalton run the offense.
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