Panthers are giving Bryce Young preferential treatment he hasn't remotely earned yet

One would think a second-year quarterbacking coming off a terrible first season in the league would welcome all the first-team reps he gets. That may or may not be the case with Bryce Young, but guess who is not going to be playing in Thursday night's preseason game vs. the New England Patriots? That would the face of the Carolina Panthers franchise, as head coach Dave Canales said he was out.

There is a chance that Canales may not even play Young at all in the preseason. We all know the penultimate game is the one you have to watch closely. Young, and other starting quarterbacks in his shoes, would not be playing much, if at all, during the final preseason game in a few weeks. However, to hold Young out where there is clearly work to be done should have Panthers feeling a certain way.

He may have been the No. 1 overall pick out of Alabama two years ago, but Carolina needs to know what it has for sure in Young before the end of the season. There could be upwards of five first-round talents at the quarterback position. If Young no longer looks like one, it would not shock me if the Panthers made a major change at the helm of their offense. Of course, Young could just ball out.

I would have had Young playing parts of the Panthers' first two preseason games, but that is just me.

Factor in that Canales is also a first-time coach, and I simply do not see the upside in sitting Young.

Carolina Panthers make mistake to not playing Bryce Young in preseason

I think if you are the Panthers, you are looking to curry favor with the home team and the fanbase. Carolina may have been so far from good last year, but they still have Young on a rookie contract, plus they have a new head coach in a winnable division he is familiar with. Canales most recently worked with Baker Mayfield on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so surely he knows a few tricks to help Young out.

Mayfield may have flourished in his one year working with Canales, but he was also a veteran journeyman quarterback by that point in his career. He has seen some things. What all has Young had besides one utterly terrible division in the NFL? Again, I think the Panthers would be making a mistake by holding out Young for the preseason, but that is just me. There is one other reason why it may be.

It may have everything to do with the Panthers' talent, or lacktherof. By not playing him in the earliest of stages during the preseason, it could help the Panthers get a better sense of who their other keys pieces are going to be on offense. I would rather see Young out there competing with his teammates, but if it is not up to him, then I could understand. As for the Panthers, just let Young play in the games.

If the Panthers were a playoff-caliber team, I may understand the idea of keeping Young out of games.