Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has played well the past few weeks, but a recent report indicates the team could still trade him in the offseason. Selected with the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Alabama product struggled as a rookie in a terrible environment. After continuing to struggle following offseason improvements at offensive line and wide receiver, first-year head coach Dave Canales turned the keys over to Andy Dalton. For a while, that looked like the end of the Bryce Young Era in Carolina, but a car crash involving Dalton put Young back in the lineup.
Since his return, Young has gone 2-2 and is coming off arguably the best game of his career. While he couldn’t get the win, he still completed 60% of his passes for 263 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. While he has played well recently, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the team could still part ways with the veteran if they can find an upgrade in the offseason.
The Panthers have made Young earn the job week to week, but he’s making a case to be the starter for the rest of the season. He’s coming off his best game with 263 yards and one touchdown pass against a strong Chiefs defense. But if Carolina believes it can replace Young with better talent in 2025, it will. There’s no need to make that determination yet, and Young could serve as a good bridge or competition with another quarterback.
Panthers Could Still Trade Bryce Young Despite Strong Play
With the trade deadline passed, the Panthers must roll with Bryce Young for at least the remainder of the year. Once the regular season comes to a close, things could get interesting. At 3-8, the Panthers hold the fifth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That might not be enough to land a top quarterback prospect like Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, or Jalen Milroe, but a lot can happen between now and the end of the regular season. If Carolina lands a top-three pick or believes their guy will fall to their draft slot, they could easily trade Bryce Young for additional draft capital.
Even with his recent stretch of play, it’s hard to envision any team believing in Young as anything more than a high-ceiling backup. Nobody will make him the unquestioned starter, but teams like the Baltimore Ravens or Miami Dolphins who need a better backup could kick the tires on the Alabama product.
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MVP candidate Lamar Jackson remains one of the game’s elite quarterbacks, and nobody will steal his job any time soon. However, this team needs a better Plan B than Josh Johnson. At his best, Johnson wasn’t good enough for the NFL, and the age-38 passer is far past his physical prime. Baltimore tried to add Daniel Jones as a free agent, which shows they are looking for a better backup quarterback. While it’s too late to get any help in 2024, a Bryce Young trade could be their answer in 2025.
Tua Tagovailoa missed a sizable chunk of the 2024 season, and the Miami Dolphins may not recover from his extended absence. While the team has played reasonably well with the former first-round pick on the field, they were a disaster with seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson and journeyman Tyler Huntley. Young may not ever live up to his pre-draft billing, but he’s better than those two and could be an invaluable piece of the 2025 puzzle if Tagovailoa’s head injuries keep him from the field.
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