Panthers not turning page on benched Bryce Young, expect former No. 1 pick to regain starting spot in 2024

Bryce Young was “completely surprised” and “blindsided” Monday by his benching following Carolina’s Week 2 home loss to the Chargers, according to a source, and veteran Andy Dalton takes over as the Panthers signal-caller Sunday and beyond.

But short of Dalton going on a tear, there’s a belief within the organization that Young will be called upon again this season in what would be one of the earliest second acts of a No. 1 overall pick’s career.

“You want to see what you have in this kid,” one team source said. “It’d be foolish not to.”

Panthers coach Dave Canales said Wednesday, and multiple sources confirmed, the team has no designs on trading Young now. Multiple personnel executives around the league surveyed by CBS Sports estimated Carolina would get no better than a Day 3 pick for Young if they soon traded him. A fourth-round pick was the highest offered by a source.

Beyond that, there’s still belief in the 23-year-old former Heisman winner. Three sources familiar with Carolina’s 2023 draft process reconfirmed this week to CBS Sports that Young was the “unanimous” selection within the building.

Team owner David Tepper wanted Young, but so did then-coach Frank Reich and then-general manager Scott Fitterer. One source said that Tepper’s lean toward Young was known, but that alone didn’t sway others from getting on board with the Alabama great.

Early in the 2023 pre-draft process, shortly after the NFL Scouting Combine, the Panthers began making their move up the draft board. A source said the team had conversations with the Arizona Cardinals about moving to No. 3, but those plans got scuttled when Carolina realized it could get to No. 2 with what was virtually a three-team trade involving Chicago (at No. 1) and Houston (at No. 2).

Plans between the Bears and Texans broke down in early March when the teams, according to one source, couldn’t agree on compensation and/or,…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/panthers-not-turning-page-on-benched-bryce-young-expect-former-no-1-pick-to-regain-starting-spot-in-2024/

Author : Jonathan Jones

Publish date : 2024-09-21 21:12:35

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