Was Bryce Young even the best quarterback on his own team this year?
Around the NFL writer Nick Shook recently ranked each of the 66 quarterbacks who made at least one start during the 2023 campaign. The first Carolina Panthers passer comes in at No. 29, and it’s backup Andy Dalton.
Shook writes:
A Panthers QB broke 300 passing yards in just two games in 2023. Would you be shocked if I told you Bryce Young and Dalton split those games evenly? In his single start of the season, Dalton threw 58 passes while attempting to keep up with Seattle, and he handled the moment exactly how you might expect a 13-year veteran to. Carolina lost that game, but Dalton elevated a talent-poor Panthers offense to a height Young never reached as a rookie.
That start came in Week 3, when Young sat out with an ankle injury. His absence gave way to a 361-yard, two-touchdown outing from Dalton in a 37-27 loss to the Seahawks.
As for Young, we have to scroll down a bit to No. 44:
Look no further than Carolina’s hiring of Dave Canales to explain how Young fared in his rookie season. He was thrown behind an incredibly inconsistent offensive line and into an offense that lacked playmakers, and was expected to create miracles with it. Instead, he predictably struggled, often resorting to the hero plays that once won him a Heisman Trophy at Alabama, but don’t work in the NFL. The hope moving forward is that Young will get back on track under Canales, who worked wonders with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay in 2023. We’ll see if that happens.
Well, at least Shook gave some appropriate context to Young’s rough rookie campaign.
The No. 1 overall pick averaged just 179.8 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While he wasn’t exactly spectacular, he did suffer from an undermanned and often outmatched supporting cast.
Hopefully for the Panthers, their new head coach will help find some higher ground for their franchise quarterback.
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