Panthers’ Canales: Bryce Young ‘absolutely’ can be franchise QB despite benching | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales still believes quarterback Bryce Young can be a good quarterback despite benching veteran Andy Dalton after just two games.

Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has not fared well in 2024. He has completed just 31 of 53 passes for 245 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns through two games. The former Alabama star has thrown for just 4.4 yards per attempt and ranks last in the league in quarterback rating and QBR, per Pro Football Reference.

These struggles follow a disappointing debut season in which Young threw just 11 touchdowns in 16 games.

To be fair to Young, he’s not exactly primed for success. Carolina is a franchise that has long struggled, having not made the playoffs since 2017. The Panthers have six straight losing seasons and have been outscored 73-13 so far in 2024. Carolina went 2-15 last year, and Young hasn’t had the talent around him to truly reach his potential.

Furthermore, in his 18 career games, he has had three different head coaches (Frank Reich, Chris Tabor, Canales), and that instability can’t make a difference.

At the same time, Young has endured his share of struggles, and the quarterback who shone at Alabama simply hasn’t shown those flashes in the pros. He was a superstar in Tuscaloosa, throwing for 8,200 yards and 79 touchdowns (12 interceptions) in his two seasons as a starter. Young also rushed for seven scores.

He clearly took a big step back in 2024, and that was concerning enough for a bench. Josh Norris of Underdog gave a good breakdown of the situation (click to see full post).