When the Carolina Panthers drafted Alabama's Bryce Young with the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, it looked like the start of a new era was afoot.
The Panthers 7-10 record in 2022 was not disastrous by any means, but issues off the field were clearly spilling onto it, and as expected, a serious rebuild was needed.
With the acquisition of Young, he was supposed to be the face of a franchise hoping to be on the ascendency, however, it was anything but that last season.
Head coach Frank Reich was fired last November after the team went 1-10, and interim head coach Chris Tabor was not much better. He managed to muster a 1-5 record in his six games in charge, which meant the Panthers finished the 2023 season with a dismal 2-15 record.
In the build-up to the 2024 season, the Panthers looked to rebuild again, with a new head coach in the form of Dave Canales, the team now needed to provide Young with the offensive weapons he needed to thrive.
It looked like the franchise were doing that in the offseason, rookie Xavier Legette and Diontae Johnson were added at wide receiver, and it was now a chance for Young to prove himself with a strong offensive line.
Unfortunately for Young, two losses during the 2024 season under centre forced Canales to make a decision and bench the 2023 first overall draft pick, and name backup Andy Dalton as the starter.
Then things got course for Young in Week 3 with Dalton playing a vital role in the Panthers' first win of the season where they beat the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22. Dalton threw for 319 yards with three passing touchdowns, which has now cast even more doubt over whether Young does stay at Carolina.
DAZN takes a look at what could be next for Young and whether a move away from the Panthers is necessary to keep his NFL career intact.
Stay at Carolina and learn from veteran Dalton
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Dalton's performance against the Raiders did not help all the attention on Young and his future in Carolina, but maybe staying with the team will be best for his development.
While the decision to bench the 23-year-old was a big one from Canales, it looks like it will not be a permanent move according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
He reported that this is essentially a "timeout" after what has been a difficult season and a half in the NFL.
With Dalton playing in his 14th season, he will have a wealth of knowledge to share with Young. It looks like he is already taking up the mentoring mantle, after revealing that frequent discussions between himself and Young have taken place since this decision was made.
A break from the scrutiny is maybe what is needed for Young, he still has plenty of years ahead of him as a quarterback and after observing how Dalton works with the Panthers offense, this could give him the help needed to get this team back on track and help bring more success to a franchise which has been at the lowest ebb in recent years.
A trade away from Carolina for Young and a fresh start
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For Young, he probably did not envisage his time so far at the Panthers to be this chaotic and now he finds himself benched.
While there is a chance he could stick with the franchise, maybe he sees his future being elsewhere with the scar tissue from this Carolina experience being too much and wanting to revive his NFL career away from Bank of America Stadium.
Immediately following the benching decision, ahead of the team's Week 3 game against the Raiders, numerous sources were reporting that several teams are interested in trading for Young, despite head coach Canales stating that the Panthers have no intention of letting this young QB go.
However, denials can be made as frequently as possible, but that will not stop the speculation, and there are a number of teams, including the Raiders and Tennessee Titans all struggling with QB issues which could be a suitable trade destination for Young.
The Panthers are likely to have egg on their face if they do indeed decide to let go of a prized asset, but for Young a fresh start in new surroundings could give his NFL career a new lease of life.
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