It’s not unprecedented in the NFL for teams to walk away from young quarterbacks early, despite spending high draft picks to get them. The Chicago Bears walked away from first-round pick Justin Fields after just three seasons. Former third-overall pick Trey Lance only got two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Josh Rosen got just one season in Arizona before the Cardinals walked away and chose Kyler Murray with the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
In Carolina, team owner David Tepper has developed a reputation for making swift – sometimes rash, depending on the perspective – decisions. These two ideas have some questioning how much longer former number 1 pick Bryce Young has with the team, especially if he struggles again this season.
Frank Schwab, senior NFL writer for Yahoo! Sports, recently released a column detailing a series of “brewing controversies” in the NFL for the 2024 season. In the article, Schwab openly wonders how much longer Young may have in Carolina under Tepper’s watch if he repeats his struggles from last season. Young’s rookie season was a disaster, especially in comparison to the selection right after him, C.J. Stroud, who took home Rookie of the Year honors as the quarterback for the Houston Texans.
Stroud had a significantly better supporting cast around him in Houston than Young did in Carolina, and that was a major focus of the Panthers’ offseason. The team now believes they have the pieces in place to support Young, so how much longer will the team wait for production from him? Can Young survive another season like the one he had as a rookie?
The Panthers have had six different passing leaders in the six seasons Tepper has owned the team. While they’re unlikely to make it 7-for-7 during Tepper’s reign, it’s hard to imagine Tepper’s patience not running out if Young struggles again in 2024. Especially when you consider what the Panthers gave up to get Young, and what could be on the horizon in next year’s NFL Draft at the position.
The Panthers would have had the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and could have been in position to draft Caleb Williams. Instead, it was the Bears who got to make that pick and pair Williams with wide receiver D.J. Moore, as both were part of the compensation that allowed Carolina to move up and draft Young. It remains to be seen how Williams performs, but it was a hefty price to pay regardless.
The 2025 NFL Draft could have a ton of talent once again at the quarterback position, with players like Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck, Cam Ward, Quinn Ewers, and Jaxson Dart highlighting the class as potential first-round picks. Carolina is once again projected to be one of the worst teams in the league. If that’s the case, could the temptation for Tepper to move on and hit the reset button at the position again be too much to pass up?
