The Carolina Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, taking the player who drew rave reviews for his football IQ and pro readiness. One year later, new details are revealing just how bad of a situation the team put him in.
Carolina received its fair share of criticism for the trade-up it made to get Young. Not only did the Panthers front office part with No. 1 receiver DJ Moore, taking away a potential playmaker for Young, it also dealt away draft picks that were needed to improve the roster.
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This meant Young would play with one of the worst NFL supporting casts but circumstances were even worse behind the scenes. He walked into an organization where the team owner undermined the head coach, had informants on the Panthers coaching staff and seemingly destroyed team chemistry.
- Bryce Young stats 2023 (ESPN): 2,877 passing yards, 11-10 TD-INT, 73.7 QB rating, 59.8% completion rate, 62 sacks taken in 16 games
Playing on one of the worst NFL rosters resulted in Young taking 62 sacks in just 16 games, the second-most sacks taken by a quarterback since 2018 and the third-most since 2007. Evidently, there were warning signs before the season even began.
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According to ESPN‘s David Newton, a Panthers’ source revealed that the team changed the offense three times before the regular season kicked off. it meant Young never had a chance to ever settle in with the offense for the entire summer, as he was forced to constantly adapt to changes made by the coaching staff.
“We changed the offense three times in the offseason. That’s not gonna be beneficial for anybody, let alone a rookie quarterback. The philosophical alignment wasn’t always there.”
Carolina Panthers team source on what Bryce Young experienced as a rookie
Related: How the Carolina Panthers set up Bryce Young to fail
It’s a recipe for disaster and that’s exactly what happened, with Young recording one of the worst seasons by a rookie starting quarterback in NFL history. The report also explains why the Panthers overhauled their coaching staff this offseason and made further changes within the organization.
There’s much more confidence in Carolina this season with head coach Dave Tepper viewed as the perfect quarterback whisperer to work with Young. If the second-year quarterback fails to improve in 2024, then we could see the Panthers pursue Dak Prescott in NFL free agency next offseason.
