The Carolina Panthers will not start Bryce Young in Week 3. Once considered to be the very best prospect in college football, the Alabama product had a disastrous rookie season, but nobody could confidently separate his performance from that of his subpar supporting cast and uninspired coaching. Carolina combatted this by hiring former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales and bringing in guys like guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, wide receiver Diontae Johnson, and first-round pick Xavier Legette.
So far, all these efforts have been for naught, as the team has scored exactly one garbage-time touchdown in 2024. This has largely been due to the quarterback play, as Young has completed just 55.4% of his passes for 245 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. He threw for just 84 yards yesterday, which is inexcusable for any professional quarterback. Head coach Dave Canales announced Andy Dalton, not Bryce Young, will start in Week 3, but is this the right decision?
Sources: The #Panthers are benching former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and starting veteran Andy Dalton beginning this week.
Coach Dave Canales has repeatedly said “Bryce is our quarterback.” But with the season quickly slipping away, Canales decided to make a change. pic.twitter.com/jTYawQCi2C
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 16, 2024
Bryce Young Will Start For the Panthers, But Should He?
The current version of Bryce Young is not the best quarterback on the roster and, if the Panthers were solely worried about winning games in 2024, they’d start Andy Dalton. Dalton is nothing special at this stage in his career, but he’s probably the best backup quarterback in football. While he lacks the upside to be anything more than a bridge quarterback, he can keep the offense afloat and play in structure. Carolina saw this last year when he threw for 361 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions while starting for an injured Bryce Young in Week 3. Now working with a better supporting cast, Dalton could likely guide this team to a five-win season.
However, Dalton offers no long-term upside. Even at his best, the former second-round pick was nothing more than a league-average starter, and his physical prime passed a long time ago. Bryce Young has not played well at the NFL level, but he was the first-overall pick for a reason. While his odds of reaching his ceiling drop with every start, you can understand why Carolina would continue to hope he can be their long-term answer under center. There is also a nature versus nurture argument to be made, as Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold look like two of the best quarterbacks in the league after flaming out in Carolina.
What Should They Do?
The Carolina Panthers will not start Bryce Young in Week 3, but even with his draft status, this is an easy decision to justify. Young quarterbacks often go through growing pains in the NFL, but nobody has ever struggled this much and turned it around. According to The Ringer‘s Austin Gayle, Young’s EPA through his first 18 games is considerably worse than notorious draft bust Zach Wilson. EPA, like all football stats, is reflective of the entire team, but the quarterback is easily the biggest factor in the results of the offense. Put simply, it’s hard to be that inefficient without being pretty bad yourself.
Panthers players can say all the right things to the press, but head coach Dave Canales would have eventually lost the locker room if Bryce Young continues to start. Every player wants to win games, and that can’t happen when the team’s best quarterback is on the bench. Additionally, a quarterback change will show what Canales can do with a competent passer, which could also entice free agents during the offseason. Ultimately, Young is a sunk cost, and it’s time for the Panthers to rip off that band-aid.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
