Former 2023 No. One Overall Pick Benched as Panthers’ QB

After the Panthers have started out with back-to-back losses, they have already seemed to think the season is slipping away despite how early it is in the season. They have announced that they will bench their former number-one overall pick, Bryce Young, for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. This move comes after two straight blowouts to the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Panthers have scored just one touchdown through those two games on a rushing touchdown in Week One against the Saints. 

Young hasn’t been everything he was supposed to be in his short-lived career. The Panthers are 2-16 in the 18 starts Young has made in his two seasons. Part of the problem could be coaching, but Young’s draft profile gave him a bit of a disadvantage with him being very undersized. Young stands at five foot and 10 inches, weighing 204 pounds. Young had more of a mobile presence in college, which has faded in his short-lived professional career so far. Young hasn’t been able to find any of his notable targets like Diontae Johnson or Adam Thielen, and has had three interceptions and has been sacked six times.

Carolina turns to the veteran Dalton as they hope to salvage this season after two disastrous games. The Panthers could look to sign a quarterback if Andy Dalton doesn’t turn out to be the solution, though many think they could hold out till the 2025 NFL Draft to draft one of the top quarterback prospects. The Panthers enter a favorable part of their schedule in the coming weeks. They will go on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders, host the Bengals the week after, and go on the road in Week Five to Chicago, before hosting the Atlanta Falcons to wrap up their first six games.