Carolina Panthers insider says benching 'did not sit well' with Bryce Young

After two games in 2024, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales had an impossible decision to make. Bryce Young was clearly not playing well, and after a disappointing rookie season, the writing appeared to be on the wall. Canales had to figure out how to get the most out of a player the Panthers mortgaged everything to get while turning a team that had gone 2-15 in 2024 into something more.

He decided to bench Young, and his handling of the situation drew criticism all season long. It ultimately seems to have worked, but at the time, it felt like it wouldn't. Canales alluded to this, but the number of former top draft choice QBs who get benched by their initial team that bounce back and go on to be legitimate NFL players is very small.

Young himself was displeased with his relegation at the time, Panthers insider Joe Person said via The Athletic. "Trade speculation immediately followed the benching, although Canales said at the time the Panthers were not considering moving Young," Person said. "The benching did not sit well with Young or anyone in his camp. But Canales praised his handling of the situation."

Young at times appeared disappointed, but he never stopped working, and he eventually took the opportunity to start when it resurfaced and ran with it. He never looked back, forcing Canales to eventually fully commit to him and by season's end say Young is "the guy" for the Panthers.

Now, Young's teammates and Canales have been showing up at the QB's camp, which is a rarity in the NFL. They all clearly believe in Young, something that might have been difficult to say a few weeks into the 2024 NFL season. Things change quickly, though, and while Young might've been miffed, he might now look back fondly on that choice.