Baker Mayfield Offers Words of Encouragement for Bryce Young After Benching

The Buccaneers quarterback said his Panthers counterpart's story is far from over.

Young has been replaced by Andy Dalton as the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Bryce Young got support from a quarterbacking peer on Wednesday, and it was someone familiar with what he's going through.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield knows what it's like to struggle as a former No. 1 NFL draft pick, and he offered encouraging words for the Carolina Panthers quarterback when asked about the second-year signal-caller's situation.

Young was benched this week after two dismal performances to start the season. He also struggled mightily as a rookie on a terrible Panthers team. Mayfield was asked about Young being relegated to the bench and defended him, explaining how difficult it is to be a quarterback—especially when the team around you is as bad as Carolina's.

"His story is far, far from finished," Mayfield said to conclude his defense.

Baker Mayfield was asked about Bryce Young's benching in Carolina, and he explained how tough playing quarterback is, especially when the supporting cast isn’t great.

"His story is far, far from finished."

Baker played in Carolina, is a former No. 1 pick and eventually bounced… pic.twitter.com/4iLBfHNPmP

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 18, 2024

If anyone knows about struggling as quarterback after being selected with the first overall pick, it's Mayfield. He spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns with varying degrees of success, before signing with the Panthers and bouncing to the Los Angeles Rams. Then, in 2023, he found his footing with the Buccaneers—leading them into the postseason.

Young has a lot of work to do after a terrible start to the season, but Carolina has not put him in a position to succeed. Through two games he has completed 55.4% of his passes for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a woeful passer rating of 44.1 and a similarly low QBR of 9.1.

Andy Dalton will be the Panthers' starting quarterback for now, but Mayfield doesn't think Young is done.

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