The Carolina Panthers recently made the massive decision to put second-year quarterback Bryce Young on the bench in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.
Like many NFL observers, Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. has weighed in on Carolina’s decision to bench the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“If you throw a young man into the swimming pool and he’s drowning a little bit, you don’t remove him from the pool and throw him into the ocean. … Allow him to sit back, evaluate, then maybe train him, and gradually throw him back in there when he can also learn the game,” Smith said on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
.@SteveSmithSr89 explains why he thinks it’s a good thing that the #Panthers are sitting Bryce Young:
“If you throw a young man into to the swimming pool and he’s drowning a little bit, you don’t remove him from the pool and throw him into the ocean.” pic.twitter.com/EknE5N1T6e
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) September 18, 2024
This take from Smith is very interesting, especially because it is coming from arguably the best offensive player in franchise history.
Could Carolina be planning to put Young back in there later in the season?
If it is, that makes sense.
Let the former Heisman Trophy winner sit back, learn from a true pro like Dalton, and then show it off in practice.
That way, the organization will know that it has done everything in its power from a development perspective, at least this year, to try to help him succeed with the team.
However, it is also fair to say that, so far, the front office has not done a good job helping him get acclimated to the NFL.
How can you expect a young QB to succeed when he plays for three different head coaches in his first 18 career games?
Time will tell to see if Young can find a way to rebound this season.
NEXT:
Panthers Have Reportedly Made A Decision About Trading Bryce Young
