Everyone thought it would be difficult for Bryce Young, but it was hard to predict this.
The Carolina Panthers moved up from ninth overall in last year's draft to the first pick to select Bryce Young.
It's been a nightmare so far.
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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban watches as quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball during warmups before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. (Petre Thomas/USA Today Sports)
As a starter, Young is 2-16, and the Panthers' putrid 2023 campaign didn't earn them the No. 1 pick because they sent their 2024 first-round pick to Chicago as part of the blockbuster deal to eventually select Young.
But the talent around Young is lacking, and Young's college coach, Nick Saban, says that has played a key role in Young's struggles.
“The quarterback position is very difficult to play if the people around you don't play well,” Saban said Friday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “That's one of the bad things about being the first player taken in a draft. You can go to a team that doesn't have all the pieces. … Carolina didn't have them, and they have to build this from scratch.”
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young walks off the field after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
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“I hate to see Bryce Young on the bench, but I also don't see a lot of opportunities for him to be successful based on the talented players around him, the offensive line around him,” Saban added. “I think he's the type of player that can perform very well when he has good players around him.”
Part of the reason Young doesn't have much star power around him is that Carolina also included DJ Moore in its deal with Chicago for the No. 1 pick. At this point, it looks like one of the worst trades in NFL history.
Since 2022, the Panthers have also traded top-tier players like Christian McCaffrey and Brian Burns for picks.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young reacts during a press conference after his team's loss to the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans on Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
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Carolina will play veteran Andy Dalton this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. After throwing for 2,877 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 games last season, Young has just 245 yards and no touchdown passes in two games this year.
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