Well, maybe it’s not over between the Carolina Panthers and the recently-benched Bryce Young.
Contrary to a report from The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini on Saturday morning, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones provided a more positive outlook for the 23-year-old quarterback’s prospects in Carolina. Jones, also a former Panthers beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, noted this evening that the organization is not turning the page on Young just yet and expects him to regain his starting spot in 2024:
. . . there’s a belief within the organization that Young will be called upon again this season in what would be one of the earliest second acts of a No. 1 overall pick’s career.
“You want to see what you have in this kid,” one team source said. “It’d be foolish not to.”
Young, whose sophomore campaign got off to a particularly disappointing start, was officially demoted by head coach Dave Canales on Monday. He tossed for just 245 yards and three interceptions in a pair of losses, leading his offense to just one touchdown and only two successful third-down conversions in 22 tries.
Since he was selected atop the 2023 draft, Young has thrown for 173.4 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 picks over 18 outings. The team went 2-16 in those contests.
The Panthers are now turning to veteran Andy Dalton for tomorrow’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 36-year-old made one start for Carolina in 2023, passing for 361 yards and two scores in a 37-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
