Two games into his second NFL season, Bryce Young has shown no signs of improvement from a disappointing rookie campaign.
In fact, it’s fair to say that he’s regressed in two poor performances in the Carolina Panthers‘ 0-2 start.
Young completed 13 of 30 passes for 161 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in Carolina’s 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. On Sunday, he completed 8 of 14 passes for 84 yards (3.2 yards per attempt) with an interception against the Los Angeles Chargers in a 26-3 loss.
These are not numbers commensurate with those of a starting NFL quarterback.
After the game, head coach Dave Canales was asked about whether Young or veteran backup Andy Dalton will be Carolina’s quarterback in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Here’s what he had to say:
“Bryce is our quarterback,” Canales said. “We’re gonna just continue to shore up and fix the things we need to fundamentally from a scheme standpoint.
“All those things — these are all valuable reps. These are all valuable games. We’ll learn a lot from this game, and hopefully we’ll take another step this week.”
What else is he supposed to say? The Panthers used the No. 1 overall pick to select Young in 2023. They spent a boatload of capital to acquire that pick from the Chicago Bears including a pick that became the No. 1 overall selection the Chicago Bears used to draft Caleb Williams in April.
They’re all in on Young. At this point in his career, he’s been a losing hand. But the Panthers have invested their football future in their young quarterback. Benching him 18 games into his career isn’t really an option, is it?
At the same time, how much damage is the losing and the poor play inflicting on Young’s confidence? Would giving him a break from live action to reset be good for him? There’s no easy answer. But it’s for Canales to figure out.
The Panthers brought Canales in to develop Young. He was previously the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks and the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played a hand in the career revivals of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, respectively. The Panthers are counting on a repeat performance as Young’s head coach.
So what’s the right answer? For now, per Canales, it’s to keep playing Young. But if the dreadful offense and losses continue to mount, that answer will be come increasingly difficult to justify. Whatever the answer is — if there is one —Canales’ future as Carolina’s head coach depends on it.