After the Carolina Panthers benched quarterback Bryce Young following their second game of the season, multiple NFL reporters suggested that his time with the team might be over.
In a report published on Friday, Jim Trotter from The Athletic shared what Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan told Young shortly after the decision.
“Other than your parents, you’re not going to have a bigger fan than myself,” Morgan told Young. “I was here when we drafted you, and I want you to be great more than you even know.”
Morgan, who was the assistant GM when the Panthers drafted Young in 2023, could have distanced himself from that decision but chose to remain supportive. Meanwhile, head coach Dave Canales, who was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the Panthers acquired Young, is now responsible for helping the young quarterback improve.
Since returning to the starting lineup in Week 8, Young has had a record of 2-3. He has completed about 60.4% of his passes for 1,082 yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions. Over those five games, he has also rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown on 15 attempts.
It’s important to remember that Young could have one more win if his defense had helped him out during the final moments of a close overtime loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday.
Earlier this week, a report highlighted how Young is “throwing the ball with more confidence and operating the offense well.” It also mentioned that the 23-year-old is “learning how to become more vocal and showing more command and urgency.”
When the Panthers hired Canales to help fix Young after a tough rookie season, few expected that benching him would be seen as a positive part of his development.
Now, it will be interesting to see how Young performs when the 3-9 Panthers face the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday. Will he struggle again, like he did in early September, or will he continue to improve and take more steps forward?
