As the Carolina Panthers prepare for their Week 3 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, they will do it with veteran Andy Dalton and not quarterback Bryce Young, who was benched just two weeks into his second season. And after dumping the young signal-caller, the rumors are that the 2023 No. 1 overall pick is not happy about it.
“He’s pissed,” an anonymous source told ESPN reporter Jeremey Fowler, who also wrote that the QB was “not only shocked by the decision but also upset.”
Despite the QB’s feelings, Fowler reports that first-year head coach Dave Canales made the decision because he saw Young as a “a tentative quarterback whose confidence was clearly affected,” “The receivers were growing frustrated,” and he thought it was the best decision for the team as a whole.
Additionally, the report call into question Young’s demeanor.
“Fiery is not Young’s style,” Fowler writes. “And while his poise was considered a strength coming out of Alabama and still can be one, his calm demeanor can be portrayed by some as a lack of urgency
Finally, there is also a belief that “even though the offense is not loaded with talent, the Panthers feel as if the receivers are at least getting open enough for NFL standards, and that Dalton can hit them.”
Dalton is 36 years old and came to the Panthers last season as a mentor to Young. The three-time Pro Bowler has appeared in four of the 19 games he’s been in Carolina for, completing 34-of59 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
There were Bryce Young concerns before the Panthers drafted him
Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama as a sophomore while throwing for 4,872 yards with 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While his junior year wasn’t quite as impressive, he still went for 3,328/32/five.
