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Panthers QB Bryce Young has historically bad day vs. Chargers
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) prepares to pass in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Panthers QB Bryce Young has historically bad day vs. Chargers

It's starting to look like the Carolina Panthers may have made an all-time bad decision in trading up to select quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. After a forgettable rookie season on a Panthers team that finished with the league's worst record, his first two games for the 2024 season somehow look even worse.

Sunday's performance in a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was also bordering on historically bad.

Young completed 18-of-26 passes for only 84 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

That is the most passing attempts ever for a quarterback who failed to top 100 yards in a game, according to Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot.

With Sunday's game in the books, and including his 161-yard effort in Week 1, Young has passed for just 245 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions in two games.

Going back to the end of the 2023 season, where he passed for just 299 yards over his final two games, he has accumulated only 460 yards in his past four games. That includes two touchdowns and five interceptions in those games.

There is a huge adjustment going from college to the NFL for quarterbacks, especially when they are going to a bad team (as Carolina has been), but you still expect to see some kind of progress. The truly great ones, the quarterbacks who go on to be franchise quarterbacks, at least show you flashes of something along the way. So far Young has done nothing even close to that. 

Part of it is a question as to whether or not he is good enough to be that type of player. The other part of it is the perpetually toxic nature of the Panthers organization under the ownership of David Tepper. The player matters. So does the environment. Right now all of it is bad in Carolina. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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