Panthers aren't giving up on Bryce Young just yet, despite early benching

The Carolina Panthers officially benched 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young after their 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. The impetus behind the move was simple. The Panthers' offense, in its current state, is untenable. Young was at risk of alienating teammates and causing fissures in the locker room. The roster around him has improved this season, if only marginally. Young's performance, meanwhile, has trended in the wrong direction.

This is a long overdue step back for Young. He needs a hard reset. It's been difficult to watch the 23-year-old this season. It's only a couple weeks — a very small sample size — but he amassed 245 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions through two starts, completing a mere 55.4 percent of his passes. Even a former No. 1 pick cannot perform like that without consequences.

Naturally, when a player of Young's stature hits the bench, folks start to wonder what the future holds. One source told CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones that the relationship between Young and the organization is "forever altered."

That said, as things sit, the Panthers aren't prepared to cut bait with Young. The Alabama product is expected to step back into the starting role eventually, assuming Andy Dalton does not exceed expectations the rest of the way.

"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," writes Jones. "There's a strong hope within the building that Young's benching can serve as a reset for the young player. All-time greats like John Elway and Terry Bradshaw were benched early in their careers, only later to go on and win multiple Super Bowls. Carolina isn't discarding Young at this time."

Panthers expected to move Bryce Young back into QB1 role later this season

It's hardly a shock. Young was the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Panthers front office a year ago. New head coach Dave Canales was obviously not part of the crew that drafted Young, but he was hired, in part, to course-correct the young signal-caller. Canales' offense has not been able to pull Young out of his stupor, though. Still flustered by constant pressure and limited by his slight 5-foot-10 frame, Young has been the worst QB in the NFL through two weeks. It has not been particularly close.

This chance to watch from the sidelines and observe could be exactly what Young needs. So many young quarterbacks benefit from sitting behind and learning from an established veteran. Dalton is well past his prime, but he has a solid decade of starting experience at the NFL level. Even if Dalton isn't tearing it up out there, it's a chance for Young to view defensive coverages from a different angle and gain a better understanding of the offense.

Outside sources cited a "lack of confidence" when discussing Young in the CBS report. League execs surveyed by CBS said that Young wouldn't return more than a fourth-round pick in trade negotiations, which is surely part of the reason Carolina is sticking with the former No. 1 pick. There's still more upside with Young than a Day 3 pick... right?

Young deserves a second chance, but it's hard to envision a path forward with his chronically mismanaged Panthers squad. A trade is probably the best outcome for Young, but absent that, he will need to settle for a mental break and a few weeks of extremely motivated practice before he re-takes the reins in Carolina.