CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have benched quarterback Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton two games into the 2024 season.
Young failed to throw a touchdown pass in his two starts as the Panthers lost by a combined score of 73-13. Dalton will make his second start for the Panthers -- his first was a 350-yard performance in a loss to the Seahawks in 2023.
The move comes after a rough start to Young's career after he was chosen No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft. Through 18 starts, Young has thrown just 11 touchdowns to 13 interceptions with 3122 yards passing. For comparison, C.J. Stroud -- who was taken one pick after Young -- has thrown 15 more touchdowns and passed for over 1500 more yards with the Houston Texans.
Head coach Dave Canales preached his commitment to Young the day before the decision was made to start Dalton. Some time on the sideline could give Young the time he needs to develop into a capable quarterback.
Young is not the first high-valued quarterback to be sent to the bench early in their career. Several quarterbacks have been relegated to a backup role before having respectable or even legendary careers.
Drew Brees
Maybe this New Orleans Saints legend is not somebody who Panthers fans want to remember but Drew Brees was once benched before his Hall of Fame-worthy career took off.
After an unmemorable first two years in the NFL, Brees got off to a dismal start for the San Diego Chargers in 2003. The Chargers floundered to a 1-7 start as Brees threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (9).
San Diego benched Brees in favor of Doug Flutie after Brees failed to score in three straight games.
Brees was sidelined for five games before he was given the starting role back. The 2003 season finished poorly for Brees but he rebounded in 2004 with his first Pro Bowl appearance.
The Saints signed Brees in 2006 and he went on to set several passing records as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
Kurt Warner
The roller coaster of Kurt Warner's career saw him on the sidelines three times in his career. Warner spent his entire rookie season on the bench after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams.
Warner won two NFL MVP awards in his next three seasons after being sprung into the starting role. The Rams won the 1999 Super Bowl as Warner became one of the NFL's top signal callers.
But even an NFL MVP is not completely safe from the bench. Warner posted an 0-6 record as a starter in 2002 before an injury forced him off the field. His 2003 season started with a six-fumble performance that relegated him to a backup role for the rest of the season.
Warner signed with the New York Giants in 2004 but was once again benched midway through the season in favor of rookie quarterback Eli Manning.
He settled with the Arizona Cardinals in 2005 and struggled early in his tenure with the team before securing the starting role and taking the team to its first Super Bowl in 2008. Warner's third and final stop helped carry him to Hall of Fame status after his retirement.
Jim Plunkett
Young is not the first No. 1 draft pick to struggle early in his career. The New England Patriots chose Jim Plunkett with the top pick in the 1975 NFL Draft.
Plunkett played five seasons with the Patriots but never had a winning season in New England. He threw 62 touchdowns to 87 interceptions with the Patriots.
An injury forced Plunkett to the sidelines in 1975 but even when he was healthy the team left him on the bench as the Patriots suffered a 3-11 season. Plunkett was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1976.
After two forgettable years in San Francisco, Plunkett signed with the Oakland Raiders where his career was revitalized.
Plunkett led the Raiders to Super Bowl wins in 1980 and 1983, winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award in the former year. Injuries plagued the rest of Plunkett's career but he managed to erase any claims that he was a bust.
Kerry Collins
The Panthers can look to their own history for a quarterback turnaround story. Kerry Collins was chosen to be the Panthers' first franchise quarterback. After the Panthers reached the NFC Championship Game in their second season, it seemed like things would pan out for Collins.
He then had a disastrous 1997 season that led to the Panthers benching him midway through the season. Things didn't turn around for Collins there, though. He requested a trade and was waived after an 0-4 start in 1998.
Two years later, Collins found himself in a starting role with the Giants and took the team to the Super Bowl. Collins went on to play a solid career with the Giants, Raiders, and Tennessee Titans before retiring in 2011.
Baker Mayfield
The jury remains out on Baker Mayfield's career arch but another former Panthers quarterback appears to have found something after being benched.
The Cleveland Browns chose Mayfield with the first pick in the 2018 draft. He took the Browns to the playoffs in 2020, the team's first postseason appearance in nearly 20 years.
Mayfield's progress declined in 2021 and he was traded to Carolina ahead of the 2022 season.
The Panthers kept Mayfield on the bench after an injury and a 1-4 start to the season. He was waived by Week 13 and signed with the Los Angeles Rams by the end of the year.
Mayfield joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 and finished with the first 4,000-yard passing season of his career. Mayfield also had career highs in touchdowns and completion percentage while making his first Pro Bowl.
What's next for Young?
One common factor for all these players is that they found success outside of the team that benched them. The Panthers signed Young to a four-year deal so if he remains with the team he still has time to work things out if he's given another chance.
The Panthers face the Raiders on Sunday hoping to get their first win of the season.