The NFL is no stranger to disastrous trades that leave franchises reeling, but few have unraveled as quickly and decisively as the Carolina Panthers’ acquisition of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
After yet another loss on Monday, head coach Dave Canales made the surprising announcement to bench quarterback Bryce Young, the top draft pick, just two games into his second season. Veteran Andy Dalton will take over field duties for now.
While Canales maintains his long-term faith in Young, the situation raises eyebrows. If Young isn’t deemed worthy of action on a struggling team under a first-year coach, when will he be? If the Panthers lack faith in his ability to contribute—even in a losing scenario—how can that change moving forward?
This season, Young’s performance has been underwhelming, with only 55.4% of his passes completed, without a single touchdown and three interceptions to his name. Carolina sits at 0-2, following a lackluster rookie season where he ranked 29th among NFL starters in Total QBR.
Carolina managed to secure only two victories last season, as Young showed few signs of being a viable NFL quarterback, let alone a franchise player expected from the top draft pick. At some point, reality sets in—and it has done so rapidly in this case.
Given Young’s age and the Panthers’ current dysfunction, there might be brighter days ahead for the former Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama. However, as it stands, he risks being remembered as one of the worst No. 1 overall picks in recent history.
Unfortunately for Panthers fans, this is just the beginning of their troubles.
Just over a year ago, then-Carolina general manager Scott Fitterer and former head coach Frank Reich were so confident in the potential of the incoming rookie quarterbacks that they traded wide receiver DJ Moore, along with first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 and second-round picks in 2023 and 2025, to Chicago to move up from the ninth pick to the first overall.
They then conducted a thorough talent evaluation and decided that Young was their preferred choice.
“There is consensus,” Reich stated. “And we’re excited.”
However, that excitement quickly faded.
Fitterer was let go in January after the Panthers finished the season with a 2-15 record. Reich didn’t last much longer, being dismissed in November after starting 1-10.
In the meantime, Chicago used the acquired draft picks to select quarterback Caleb Williams, offensive tackle Darnell Wright, and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (with the 2025 second-round pick still pending), all of whom started in Sunday’s loss to Houston. Meanwhile, Moore has made 11 receptions this season.
That’s potentially four or five significant players—including a future franchise quarterback—acquired in exchange for one player who is now serving as a backup.
While that’s troubling, it’s not the worst part of the situation.
With the top overall pick, the Panthers could have chosen any quarterback from the 2023 draft class, including C.J. Stroud, who had an impressive career at Ohio State.
For a time, Stroud was favored to be the first pick, but Carolina opted for a different route, selecting a 5-foot-10 quarterback who became the shortest in the league at his position upon being drafted. The Texans quickly grabbed Stroud as the second overall pick.
As Young struggled, Stroud shone as the offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, throwing 23 touchdowns against just five interceptions and leading the Texans into the playoffs. This season, the Texans are 2-0, and Stroud is completing 69.1 percent of his passes, adding three more touchdowns without any interceptions.
Stroud is not just a franchise quarterback; he shows the potential to be an All-Pro who can guide Houston into serious Super Bowl contention.
And he was there for the taking—worth all the assets the Panthers sacrificed to acquire a top pick.
Ultimately, Carolina opted not to draft him, leaving fans and team owner David Tepper to watch Stroud—and those draft picks—thrive elsewhere.
Less than 17 months later, it’s clear this is a disaster. With just 18 starts under his belt, Bryce Young is heading to the bench, potentially setting a record for the fastest failure following a poor trade and draft choice.
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