Panthers’ Bryce Young benched: Is the former No. 1 overall pick one of the biggest QB busts of all-time?

To say that things have gone poorly for the Carolina Panthers in recent seasons would be putting it mildly. The club has gone under .500 in each of the previous six seasons and appears destined to suffer the same fate in 2024. After a 0-2 start to the season, the club has since reached a new low, with the latest chapter revolving around the benching of quarterback Bryce Young. 

And this feels like rock bottom. 

The highlight of Young’s tenure with Carolina so far has essentially been draft night when the organization selected him with the No. 1 overall pick out of Alabama. However, the events that have followed that pick have made that decision age like milk. Now that selection has drifted into the territory of being spoken about as one of the worst maneuvers in league history and Young as possibly one of the biggest draft busts.

Of course, the situation revolving around Young and the Panthers is layered as we start to speak about it in that context. Sure, on the surface, we’re evaluating a single player and his poor performance on the field. For instance, Young is 2-16 as a starter thus far in his career, which is the third-worst win percentage (.111) by a quarterback since 1950 (minimum of 15 starts). 

However, it stretches beyond the mere play out of Young because of what Carolina gave up in order to acquire him. Remember, the Panthers did not possess the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 by simply having the worst record in the league the year before. That belonged to Chicago. So, Carolina made the decision to trade up to select Young that spring in a deal that has since made it look like the French Republic during the Louisiana Purchase. 

Let’s get to the particulars. 

Bears-Panthers trade for No. 1 pick in 2023

As we know, the Panthers used that pick to select Young, whom they hoped would be their franchise savior and is now playing second fiddle to Andy Dalton less than two years later. What makes the mere selection of Young at No. 1 worse is the quarterback who came off the board right behind him: C.J. Stroud. 

The Houston Texans jumped on the opportunity to take Stroud second overall, and the Ohio State product then put together one of the best rookie seasons in league history. En route to an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Stroud rewrote the franchise rookie record book with new marks in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completions. He also led Houston to an AFC South title and a playoff win during that stellar campaign. 

So, mirroring that to what Young has produced is supremely lopsided. 

And then there’s what the Bears got in return. The club used that 2023 first-rounder to bring in offensive tackle Darnell Wright, who started all 17 games as a rookie. Meanwhile, corner Tyrique Stevenson was brought aboard with the 2023 second-round pick, and he started all 16 of his games played in his first season and tallied 16 pass breakups and four interceptions. Right there, the team netted two starters. 

The lone player involved in this trade was Moore, who agreed to a massive $110 million extension this offseason after a first season in Chicago where he set new career highs in receptions (96), receiving yards (1,364) and receiving touchdowns (8). And he’s only 27 years old as he enters the 2024 season. 

However, what could prove to be arguably the biggest miscue in all of this is the 2024 first-round pick Carolina surrendered, which ultimately produced quarterback Caleb Williams. The Heisman Trophy winner established himself as a generational prospect at USC, and the Bears were only able to land him thanks to the Panthers finishing last season with the worst record in the league. 

So, if you’re counting at home, Carolina missed out on Stroud by taking Young over him and then lost out on Williams because Young and the team couldn’t manage better than a 2-15 record in the regular season. 

If Stroud continues on the path that the NFL saw during his rookie season and Williams lives up to his hype, this benching of Young could signify arguably the worst trade in recent memory, if not ever. Oh, and the Bears still have another blue-chip pick (Carolina’s 2025 second-rounder) on the horizon.