Is Bryce Young’s trade the beginning of the end for last year’s No. 1 pick?

CHARLOTTE, NC — When Andy Dalton met with the Charlotte media on Monday afternoon for his first day as starting quarterback, the 36-year-old could barely contain his excitement. It was the kind of energy and passion the Carolina Panthers had hoped to see from Bryce Young.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity. I wasn’t sure I would get it again,” said Dalton, a former Pro Bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals. “So I, for one, am fired up. I’m excited. I get a chance to do what I’ve done my whole career.”

The Panthers made a huge move on Monday by benching Young, whom they drafted with the No. 1 pick last year, after trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears for the pick. The announcement came less than 24 hours after first-year coach Dave Canales, when asked if Young would remain a starter, said, “Bryce is our quarterback.”

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Canales apparently had an epiphany after watching film of Young’s performance during a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, statistically the worst loss of Young’s short career. Canales spoke with general manager Dan Morgan, executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis and several of his assistant coaches.

Asked what role owner David Tepper played in the matter, Canales said he wanted to keep it a secret. However, Tepper said he was consulted on major decisions; if he benched last year’s No. 1 pick two games into his second season, that would be a decision.

“There are certainly many parties involved. Ultimately, the responsibility is mine. And my main responsibility is to help the Panthers win,” Canales said. “I believe this step gives us the best chance to achieve that.”

You can’t really call them victories. The Panthers weren’t even competitive in their first two games under Canales, losing by a total of 60 points to the New Orleans Saints and the Chargers. Young’s numbers were abysmal: no touchdown passes, three interceptions and an NFL-worst passer rating of 44.1.

Andy Dalton is excited about the opportunity, but it is a difficult situation for everyone. pic.twitter.com/8fBgv5K1iU

— Joe Person (@josephperson) 16 September 2024

Young’s EPA (expected points added) rate per dropback was the worst of his career on Sunday. He threw for a career-low 84 yards and did not complete a single pass longer than 12 yards. He rarely attempted a pass that long.

And after throwing an interception in the middle of the field in the second quarter (like he did last week), Young’s shoulders slumped and his body language was suspect for the rest of the game. Young, who was voted captain for the first time two weeks ago, is the opposite of Cam in terms of energy. That’s not his personality and not the reason he was benched.

However, anyone who listened carefully to Canales’ press conference on Monday could have heard a reference to what is often referred to in NFL locker rooms as “junkie” among his non-answers about what was “the best decision for the team.”

“I owe it to everyone – the coaches, the staff, the players, everyone involved – to be really critical of what we’re filming, what I’m seeing, and to make sure I’m making the best decision for the team every week. It happens to be the quarterback position, so that’s how it’s loaded,” Canales said.

“But it affects every position. It affects all the guys. I was able to stand in front of the team and challenge all the guys to help us all increase our passion for what we do and achieve the style of play we’re looking for.”

Canales comes from the coaching pedigree of Pete Carroll, who is bursting with energy like a maple tree with sap. And if you’ve watched any of Canales’ press conferences (except Monday’s) or seen a video of him jogging onto the practice field in his “Smedium” drinks, you know he’s all about positive energy.

“It’s about building a culture. It’s about building a football team that plays a certain style of game,” he said. “And that’s my main focus.”

It’s also about responsibility. And if Canales continued to accept subpar play from the quarterback, he would cause disharmony in the locker room and more episodes like Adam Thielen’s tantrum on the sidelines.

The benching of the potential franchise QB after 18 starts caught everyone’s attention on a team that seemed slow and disinterested and suffered a tough loss in the first two weeks.

“It makes everyone realize that anything can happen,” linebacker Josey Jewell said. “And if you don’t play well enough or don’t meet someone’s standards or don’t have enough energy, everyone is replaceable.”

When speaking to reporters, Canales never portrayed the quarterback change as temporary or a mental break for the 23-year-old Young.

The Panthers’ best passing day last season was in Seattle (coincidentally in Week 3), when Dalton started in place of the injured Young. If Dalton plays well, Young’s time in Charlotte could be over. He would join a long list of quarterbacks the Panthers have cycled through since Tepper bought the team, some of whom (Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold) have found success elsewhere.

There’s no doubt the Panthers let Young down, especially during a chaotic rookie season that included a midseason coaching change and repeated back-and-forths at the offensive playmaker position. Young was also beaten behind an offensive line that had 62 sacks and had receivers who couldn’t get free.

Last year seemed to leave its mark on the 5’10” Young, whose footwork and route development have declined this year despite better protection from a newly built line. The receiving corps still lacks a true No. 1.

Given Young’s play, this move seemed inevitable, although I would have estimated it to happen in Week 4 or 5. Instead, it happened 508 days after the Panthers took Young with the first pick in the 2023 draft ahead of CJ Stroud.

And while Dalton was happy about his promotion on Monday, he was also sad about Young’s demotion. But Dalton is also confident that the former Alabama quarterback will be OK, wherever and however that may look.

“He’s wired the right way. Who knows what’s going to happen?” Dalton said. “But I know he has the right character traits to know what he believes in. And that’s going to take him way beyond that now.”

(Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)