While everyone is seemingly giving him a free pass, Bryce Young is looking in the mirror following the Carolina Panthers‘ decision to bench him just two games into the 2024 season.
Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, addressed his surprising demotion for the first time on Thursday. He acknowledged the decision was a surprise, as the Panthers essentially decided to make him the scapegoat following their 0-2 start.
“Not something I was necessarily expecting,” Young said, via Panthers beat reporter Sheena Quick. “Obviously, not something that was great to hear, but I respect Coach [Dave] Canales, I respect the organization. They made the decision. … Right now, that’s the situation that it is. I have to do everything to help the team whatever way I can.”
Understandably, the Panthers’ decision has drawn the ire of many, including NBA superstar LeBron James, who told Young via social media that the benching “ain’t on you.” Several Panthers rallied around their teammate following their Week 2 loss to the Chargers.
While it’s valid to point some of the blame on the Panthers, Young is instead focused on what he could have done to avoid the situation.
“At the end of the day, we had a ton of drives, a ton of games that I didn’t do enough during that,” Young said. “I look in the mirror and I take accountability for that. … For the most part, every snap hit my hands and I didn’t do enough with it at the end of the day.”
Young’s right, but at the end of the day, it’s safe to say that the Panthers’ benching him after just two games is a major sign of panic. It’s also fair to say that the Panthers have not done a good enough job of putting Young in better situations to succeed. Canales, for one, asked Young to shoulder too much of the load offensively during the season’s first two games. The Panthers ran just 38 times in those games compared to their opponents’ combined 81 rushing attempts.
Young, though, chose to take the high road on Thursday. He has turned his focus toward his new role as Andy Dalton’s backup. Speaking of Dalton, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not he can ignite a spark in the Panthers’ offense, or if Carolina will turn back to Young, who remains focused on the present and not his future with the Panthers.
“Really, I’m a day-by-day type of person,” Young said. “Big picture stuff, that’s out of my hands. That’s in God’s hands. Organizational stuff, that’s with the people upstairs. I’m super grateful to be part of this team, this organization. I wanna help the team any way I can, and that’s my focus.”
