Bryce Young’s former college coach, Nick Saban, remains confident in his NFL future despite the recent setback of being benched by the Carolina Panthers ahead of Week 3. Saban, who coached Young to a national championship at Alabama, did not hold back when discussing the situation on The Pat McAfee Show, delivering a strong defense of the young quarterback while also criticizing the circumstances surrounding him in Carolina.
Saban highlighted the challenges Young faces as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, particularly the lack of support from the players around him. “Quarterback is a really hard position to play if the people around you don’t play well,” Saban said. “Do they have the type of players around Bryce Young to even give him a chance to be successful? That’s one of the bad things about being the first guy picked in a draft. You may go to a team that doesn’t have all the pieces that you need.”
Saban didn’t mince words about the Panthers’ current roster situation, saying the team needs a complete rebuild and that it’s unfair to place the blame solely on Young for their struggles. “I hate to see Bryce get benched. But I also don’t see a lot of opportunity for him to be successful based on the skill players they have around him, the offensive line they have around him,” Saban continued. “And I think he’s the type of player that can operate well when he has good players around him.”
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Carolina’s lack of depth has been a concern since the Panthers traded up from the No. 9 pick in the 2023 draft to secure Young at No. 1. In a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Bears, the Panthers gave up star wide receiver D.J. Moore along with two first-round picks and two second-round picks to make the move. While this trade allowed Carolina to land Young, it left the team short on key offensive weapons to support their rookie quarterback.
Young’s debut season in 2023 didn’t go as hoped. Carolina finished with a league-worst 2–15 record, and as if to add salt to the wound, the Bears—using the Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick—selected highly touted quarterback Caleb Williams. Young himself struggled, throwing for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, with a passer rating of 73.7.
The start of the 2024 season has only compounded the disappointment.
In their first two games, the Panthers suffered blowout losses, falling 47–10 to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 and 26–3 to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
Young managed just 245 yards and three interceptions across those two games, leading head coach Dave Canales to make the tough decision to bench him in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.
