The Carolina Panthers’ formal announcement that 2023 first-round pick Bryce Young will be benched in favor of journeyman veteran quarterback Andy Dalton shook the NFL world.
Some fans were shocked, others were ecstatic, and still others began dreaming up trades for the young signal-caller from Alabama, with teams ranging from the Miami Dolphins to the Los Angeles Rams, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New York Giants all being considered potential destinations.
While the Patriots have stated that they will not trade Young anytime soon because they still believe he can be a starting quarterback even if he isn’t right now, according to sources close to David Newton of ESPN, the signal caller’s camp is open to almost anything, including three more years in Carolina or a trade to somewhere new, where he could sling it on a more, shall we say, functional team.
“A source close to Young said the quarterback is ‘open to anything’ as it pertains to staying with the Panthers through the end of his rookie contract or being traded to another team,” Newton said in an interview with ESPN.
Whoa, howdy, buckle up, NFL fans.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was startled by his benching.
Elsewhere in Newton’s broader essay regarding Young’s benching, he received remarks from Alabama’s second-year quarterback, who, needless to say, was taken aback by the Panthers’ decisions.
“As a competitor, obviously not how you dream of what’s going to happen,” Young shared with ESPN. “It wasn’t what I was expecting. Obviously, it was not pleasant to hear. It is up to me to place them in that scenario.
