What does the old nationwide insurance business say? “Life comes fast for you.”
Indeed it does.
Just ask Bryce Young, once heralded as the savior of the Carolina Panthers. On Sunday afternoon, Panthers coach Dave Canales pledged his loyalty to Young despite yet another ugly exit from the No. 1 pick in 2023. Less than 24 hours later, Canales announced the decision to bench Young in favor of 14-year NFL veteran Andy Dalton.
After the 0-2 Panthers were outscored 73-13 in the first two games of the season, “Price is our quarterback” was changed to “Andy gives us the best chance to win” as Canales desperately tried to stop the bleeding.
Young endured a tumultuous rookie season and is already playing for his third head coach in 17 months. His rookie performance struggles carried over into Year 2. Through the start of 2024, he has completed just 55.4 percent of his passes for 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Benching Young two games into another Panthers rebuilding season raises questions about the wisdom and foresight of Carolina’s brass. Young’s rapid fall from grace is yet another example of the impatience and impulsiveness that so often governs quarterback decisions (and confusions) across the NFL.
Another once-promising opportunity is in danger of extinction. Another right is stuck in purgatory. As a familiar storyline unfolds, as other young quarterbacks falter this season, it feels like the NFL has a quarterback development crisis on its hands.
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Is Bryce Young’s bench the starting point for last year’s No. 1 pick?
A national champion and Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, Young seemed destined for NFL stardom. His small stature (5-foot-10, 204 pounds) gave some talent evaluators pause. But many believed that the accuracy, poise, athleticism, tireless work ethic, exceptional football IQ, keen instincts and competitiveness Young displayed in college would help him make up for his lack of size.
Conversely, even Young doesn’t sniff the expertise.
Does he deserve some of his flaws? Of course. But Young had an unsuccessful rookie season. He went 2-14 while throwing 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. C.J. Stroud, who was picked up by the Texans after Young, won Offensive Rookie of the Year.
However, Stroud was unlikely to have the same success in Carolina as Houston, which went 10-7 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs under new coach DiMeco Ryans. In Carolina, there were:
1. Many chefs in the kitchen, David Tepper, coach Frank Reich (who only lasted 11 games), offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, veteran offensive assistant Jim Caldwell, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and assistant head coach Deuce Staley.
2. Too many roster holes. Few (if any) quarterbacks can succeed with such a shaky supporting cast.
Canales needs to help Young reset, much like he did with Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. But he’s already made a baffling decision by sidelining Young for the first two preseason games instead of giving him game reps to help his development.
Panthers coach Dave Canales will start Andy Dalton (right) in Sunday’s game at the Raiders. (Stephen Lew/Imagine Images)
Does time as a spectator help you better understand NFL quarterbacking? Time will tell.
We know benching Young, who has been sacked 68 times in 18 career games, won’t fix the Panthers’ other talent deficiencies on offense. Yes, some of the quarterbacks who were sacked often deserve blame for holding the ball too long. But Carolina’s offensive line wasn’t great.
The switch from Young to Dalton doesn’t suddenly help improve the blocking of a defense that surrenders a league-high 36.5 points per game. But the Panthers, like many teams before them, think a quality quarterback can cover up a lot of deficiencies. Yes, a great quarterback can lift a team, but even Patrick Mahomes can’t cure all of Carolina’s ills.
We don’t know how Young’s story will turn out, but based on the way he handled last season and Monday’s surprise decision, the Panthers quarterback was a victim of abuse.
And they are not alone. Check out the 2021 NFL Draft Class. No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence remains with the Jaguars, but fellow first-round quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mack Jones have all left the teams that drafted them.
Development-wise, Young wasn’t ready last season, and he’s not ready this year. Carolina ran a very familiar offense in 2023, drafting a valuable quarterback and trading him to the Wolves before he was ready to execute at a high level and before the roster around him was strong enough to compensate for his shortcomings. This season’s Panthers roster is full of holes. Young’s struggles, along with Canales’ decision to bench him so early, suggest the kid shouldn’t have been the starter this season.
Many teams push to start a star quarterback from Day 1, even when these prospects are perfect and their rookie teams have very shaky foundations. It defies logic. With a teenager’s learning curve, you wouldn’t hand a teenager the keys to a sloppy jalopy and expect him to navigate an interstate safely. Why expect miracles from a first-year pro quarterback?
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There are certainly times when a rookie quarterback doesn’t help himself. Maybe he doesn’t read as much as he should. Maybe he repeats the same mistakes. Many times when a quarterback experiment goes south, there are whispers of poor work ethic and discipline. But if a young quarterback doesn’t carry himself like the ultimate pro, if he hasn’t demonstrated the growth, discipline and commitment necessary to hold down a starting job, don’t give him permission to start. Make him earn.
There’s nothing wrong with a quarterback saying he’s not ready. But ignore all the red flags and do it from the start instead of justifying the decision to start him because of the premium pick used to acquire him.
Indecision and impatience do no one any good. A team with a young quarterback has two choices:
• Commit to developing him on the fly and live with the fact that things will get ugly before they get better. Remember: The great Peyton Manning led the NFL in interceptions (28) and won just three games as a rookie. Troy Aikman went 0-11 as a rookie before winning three Super Bowls.
• Or, play the long game. Redshirt and draft quarterback to bolster the roster he’ll eventually inherit, and start him once development is evident.
Many NFL coaches struggle to embrace conservative approaches to their young quarterbacks.
It’s well-documented that a young passer’s best friend is a play-action passing attack that comes as a byproduct of a strong rushing game and run. But instead of going with a run-first mentality, playing a defensive back to lighten the load and buy more time, play-callers are dropping young, underdeveloped quarterbacks 30 and 40 times a game. That’s when the crippling mistakes come.
Passing on early downs (and the incompletion that follows) leads to third-and-long situations that force a quarterback to hold the ball longer as plays develop. This puts more pressure on an offensive line (which may or may not be very good), and makes the quarterback an easy target for sacks.
Most young quarterbacks lack the basic understanding of defense needed to thrive. In many of Young’s interceptions, it’s clear that he doesn’t see defenders or has a clue that he’s being set up by disguised coverage. He throws these interceptions with confidence – rifles the ball without hesitation … before a defense can get back in and pluck it out of the air.
Ultimately, young, error-prone quarterbacks get frustrated or get the hook for a bad decision. In fact, they may not have been in those situations in the first place.
Broncos coach Sean Payton hit 77 times, third in the league. That set up the Knicks to make some confusing decisions en route to a league-high four interceptions (tied with the Colts’ Anthony Richardson) and an atrocious 51.0 passer rating. Bears 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has struggled to get rid of the ball immediately due to the heavy passing load and speed of the NFL game. Meanwhile, Titans second-year pro Will Lewis has made some fatal mistakes while looking like a quarterback who could benefit greatly in a couple of years as a backup.
Why can’t coaches recognize how their aggressive tactics are disabling their quarterbacks? We have plenty of examples of how effective even a quarterback of an average skill set can be when his play-caller is committed to backing him up with a balanced game plan.
Take Sunday in Green Bay, where Matt LaFleur set up a much-vaunted Malik Willis for a win three weeks after he was traded to the Packers. LaFleur out-batted Josh Jacobs 32 times, and Jacobs finished with 151 rushing yards. The Packers executed 21 extra-run plays (six to Willis) and finished with 261 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Willis was asked to bowl 14 times. He completed 12 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a passer rating of 126.8.
Contrast that with Richardson’s workload and inefficiency. The second-year pro, making his sixth career start, carried 34 times and completed just 17 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. It wasn’t the most dazzlingly entertaining performance, but Willis helped the Packers win 16-10. Give me an ultra-conservative and win over three confidence-inspiring interceptions and a loss any day.
The NFL may require an application process where quarterback-needy teams must lay out a clear and effective plan to create a valuable prospect in order to gain approval to draft him. I am a child. But now more than ever — with quarterbacks spending less time in college and more coming to the NFL than ever before — NFL decision-makers must exercise more patience when developing and managing young quarterbacks.
Impulsive and impatient approaches kill careers and destroy rights that should have been touted for years. When that happens, heads roll — and rightfully so.
(Top photo: Chris Grayton/Getty Images)
