After starting the 2024 NFL season 0-2, the Carolina Panthers made a major decision on Monday. The franchise officially announced that Bryce Young was being benched after a pretty disappointing start to the year. Backup quarterback Andy Dalton will take over from Young, who struggled to get settled with the franchise in a state of turmoil.
Young being benched didn't come as too much of a surprise but the franchise appears to have thrown him under the bus considering they have had no semblance of consistency over the past two years. Young was drafted first overall in 2023 but there were concerns at the time regarding how he would adjust to life in the National Football League given his diminutive stature as quarterback. Young started 18 games in all. His record in those games is 2-16 with 11 TDs and 13 INTs. More importantly, in what will likely be an indictment on how the franchise has been run under owner David Tepper, Young has gone through two head coaches, with one being fired midseason.
After Young was benched, ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak pointed to his Week 1 piece on Young, outlining why he would benefit from a move away from the franchise.
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In his piece proposing a trade to the Miami Dolphins, Solak wrote:
“I don’t know what coach Dave Canales is supposed to do about this. Short of running the Mike McDaniel offense (which is not viable in Carolina because this team does not have one of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle or De’Von Achane, let alone all three of them), there is no way to make this style of quarterback work in the NFL.”
Solak re-upped that post after Young was benched, tweeting:
"I say this in all seriousness: the Dolphins should try and trade for Young. He can run that offense. Might be the only offense in the league he can run."
Where Panthers & Dolphins stand in Week 3
The Panthers have clearly made the decision to go with Andy Dalton in Week 3. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters after the announcement:
"Andy gives us our best chance to win this week.
"Hate to sound like a broken record, I owe it to all the guys … everybody involved to be really critical about what we put on film and what I'm seeing and to make sure that I'm constantly making the best decision for the team, every week."
When it comes to the Dolphins, the franchise has already made a move to shore up their QB depth chart, poaching former Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. The Dolphins will likely not see Tua Tagovailoa in action anytime soon with their QB1 expected to go through the NFL's concussion protocols before being cleared for any time of in-person contact in practice.
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