‘Out of Nowhere’: Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young ‘Very Shocked’ by Sudden Decision After Week 2

The Carolina Panthers and head coach Dave Canales announced that former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young will no longer be the starting quarterback.

Instead, the Panthers will roll with veteran QB Andy Dalton for the foreseeable future. Canales would not divulge the amount of pull Panthers owner David Tepper had in making the decision.

Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young was “very shocked” by the decision

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Young and the people around him were “very shocked” at the announcement that he would no longer be the starting QB for the Panthers. According to Schultz, one source said “It came out of nowhere.”

Sources: #Panthers QB Bryce Young and those close to him were “very shocked” at the organization’s decision to bench him this morning. “It came out of nowhere,” one source said.

Safe to say no one anticipated the plug being pulled after just two games with a new coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/OAuu0P4Oc8

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 16, 2024

Young has struggled immensely through the first portion of his career and whether that falls on him or his supporting cast is up for debate. Young ranks dead last in sacks taken among 32 qualified QBs since being drafted in 2023.

Young is constantly compared to fellow first-round QB C.J. Stroud, who was taken just one pick after Young in the 2023 draft. Stroud has outperformed Young in nearly every single metric, causing the pressure on Young to mount even more.

How Bryce Young’s stats stack up against C.J. Stroud, drafted one pick behind him last year 📊 https://t.co/KRVTOkxgRB pic.twitter.com/ka7nnALdqw

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) September 16, 2024

Carolina Panthers HC Dave Canales would not say how much owner David Tepper contributed to the benching of QB Bryce Young

When Canales was asked about everything that went into the decision to start Dalton over Young, he wouldn’t say how much Tepper influenced the decision.

Tepper is known as being a hands-on owner and the fact that the news came as a shock to Young lends itself to the idea that Tepper was pulling the strings. Canales said the decision ultimately falls on him in a Yahoo Sports article but kept Tepper’s role in the matter private.

“I wanna keep that private,” Canales replied. “What I would like to say though is this is something after I watched the film. I looked at it, had a thought, starting working on talking to the guys that we make decisions with. Certainly, a lot of parties involved there. And ultimately, this comes on me, and my No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win. And so this move, I believe, puts us in the best chance to do that this week.”

The Panthers have only managed to win two out of the 18 games in which Young has started. The decision to bench Young could mean that Tepper is planning to take a QB in the 2025 draft. It could also be a means to protect Young while the Panthers are not in a spot to win.

Regardless, a 36-year-old Andy Dalton will now try to lead the Panthers out of their 0-2 hole as one of the most accomplished veteran QBs in the NFL.

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