Should Bryce Young start Week 4 if healthy?

While it sounds like the Panthers plan on starting Young if he's healthy, should they?

While the original plan for Carolina was to let Young develop by getting on the field, it might be time for Reich to reevaluate that decision. 

Growing pains were expected for the first-year coach with a rookie quarterback, but it is the specific ways in which Young and the Panthers are struggling that are particularly concerning. 

For one, the offensive line has been atrocious for Carolina. A unit that was expected to be solid (ranked 16th preseason by Pro Football Focus) have allowed a league-high 60 quarterback pressures. 

In two games so far Young has been sacked six times taken 15 QB hits. Taking this kind of an immediate beating is a worst-case scenario for Panthers fans, as franchise quarterbacks in the past have had their careers derailed by the physical and mental toll it takes. 

In 2002, the Houston Texans selected David Carr as the franchise's first quarterback with the top pick in the draft. He was sacked 76 times and as a rookie (an NFL record) and took a total of 249 in his five years as Houston's starter. He left Houston after the  2006 season with a 22-53 record in 75 starts. 

In 2012 Andrew Luck was sacked 41 times.

While he was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for a short period of time, Luck suddenly retired during the 2019 preseason after taking constant hits in Indianapolis. Less than five years later, the Colts found themselves with a top-five pick in the NFL Draft. 

If Carolina wants to avoid a similar fate, it needs to protect the future of the franchise. The best way to do that right now is let Andy Dalton play.