Jake Delhomme’s path into the NFL was pretty much the polar opposite of Bryce Young’s. But the 1997 undrafted free agent probably knows a breakout when he sees one—and he sees one coming with the 2023 No. 1 overall pick.
The Carolina Panthers great and Hall of Honor member joined Tuesday’s episode of The Zach Gelb Show, where he spoke about his old team’s new man under center. And with new head coach and possible quarterback whisperer Dave Canales at the helm, Delhomme thinks Young is primed for an exciting 2024 campaign.
“I truly believe you’re gonna see what you saw with Geno Smith two years ago in Seattle, when he had that kind of resurgence of his career under Canales,” Delhomme told Gelb. “I think Baker [Mayfield] last year—Baker did a great job. Some of my notes as I look back last year when we played Tampa—is that Baker is getting the ball out quick, he’s very decisive, he’s gettin’ it out quick, he’s taking shots when he has to. But he was moving, he was getting rid of the football—and that’s something that Dave incorporates. And I believe you’re gonna see that in this offense.”
Jake Delhomme thinks you will see a Geno Smith type of resurgence from Bryce Young this season. @InfSportsNet pic.twitter.com/KQbuLcJ4RZ
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) July 16, 2024
Smith’s resurgence went down in 2022, when Canales served as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks. He threw for career-highs in yards (4,282) and touchdowns (30) while leading the entire NFL with a completion rate of 69.8 percent.
The results were very similar for Mayfield this past season, with Canales as his offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay. Baker also hit bests in passing yards (4.044), passing touchdowns (28) and completion percentage (64.3).
Fortunately, there’s essentially nowhere to go but up for Young—who averaged just 179.8 passing yards per contest with 11 touchdowns as a rookie. But how high can the former Heisman Trophy winner go?
If you believe a certain underdog quarterback, get ready to look towards the sky.
