Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's saga is “far from over” after being benched Monday after starting the season 0-2.
That's according to current Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who, like Young, was the No. 1 overall pick and struggled early in his NFL career (including a stint with Carolina) before resurrecting his career with Tampa Bay.
“It's hard being a quarterback, especially with younger guys, you don't have the guys around you, you don't have the opportunities to be successful, so a lot of times they have the talent, they have the smarts, but they don't have the opportunity, the aptitude,” Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday.
“So I'm sitting here in a much better place now than where I've been. No disparaging any other team, but this is about the pieces around the coaching staff. With Bryce, I can relate to finding the belief within yourself again. I think he'll get it. His story is far from over.”
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick by the Browns in 2018, was traded to Carolina in the summer of 2022 after Cleveland acquired Deshaun Watson to replace him earlier this year.
He joins fellow first-round draft pick Sam Darnold, a former Jet who is now with the Vikings, who played in seven games for the Panthers.
Mayfield was released late in 2022 and played five games with the Rams before signing with the Buccaneers in free agency last March.
Mayfield led the Buccaneers to a 9-8 regular season and a surprising postseason run and signed a three-year, $100 million contract in the spring.
He and the Buccaneers are off to a hot 2-0 start, but their NFC South rivals, the Panthers, are still winless after two straight blowout losses.
Young, the No. 1 pick in last year's NFL draft, will start as the No. 2 quarterback behind veteran Andy Dalton, Panthers coach Dave Canales confirmed Monday.
“It's something I thought about after watching the film and started working on talking to the people that I make decisions with. There's certainly a lot of people involved there,” said Canales, who worked with Mayfield as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator last season.
“Ultimately, it's my responsibility. My No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win, so I believe this move gives me the best opportunity to accomplish that this week.”
Young said he and those around him were “deeply shocked” by the decision. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz:Meanwhile, prominent athletes, including LeBron James, slammed the Panthers for the move.
Young spent a season-plus with Carolina, compiling a 2-16 record and completing 70.9% of his passes for 3,122 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
