There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on since the Carolina Panthers decided to bench quarterback Bryce Young on Monday. And when it comes to the godfather of NFL draft coverage, he’s pointing his finger straight at upper management.
ESPN analyst and longtime draft guru Mel Kiper joined Tuesday’s episode of Get Up to discuss the demotion of last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Head coach Dave Canales announced yesterday that the team will sit the second-year passer and move ahead with 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3.
Kiper believes Young’s struggles have come as a result of the organization mishandling him, and made that rather clear in a very passionate rant this morning . . .
Mel Kiper with an All-Time Mel Kiper rant for the ages on Bryce Young. pic.twitter.com/Hhb54yjl0i
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 17, 2024
Young was ranked as Kiper’s No. 2 overall player and top quarterback prospect heading into the 2023 draft. He would, of course, be selected right off the top of the board by Carolina that spring.
Since then, Young has played under three different head coaches (one interim), three different offensive play-callers and two different general managers. The Panthers are 2-16 in games started by Young—who has thrown for 173.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
