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NFL Fans Loved Bryce Young's Classy Response to Getting Benched by Panthers

The former No. 1 draft pick will take a seat this weekend behind veteran Andy Dalton.

Tom Dierberger

Young was benched heading into the Panthers' Week 3 matchup against the Raiders.
Young was benched heading into the Panthers' Week 3 matchup against the Raiders. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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The Carolina Panthers have made it clear they still believe in the long-term potential of former No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young. But for now, the second-year quarterback will take a seat behind grizzled veteran Andy Dalton, who will take over the Panthers' starting duties under center heading into the Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Young spoke with the media Thursday for the first time since his demotion was announced earlier this week following an ugly 0–2 start to the 2024 campaign.

"I don't think that's up for me to decide," Young said of the Panthers' decision to bench him. "There's a lot of plays that last year and these first two games, for the most part every snap hit my hands. And I didn't do it at the end of the day. I take accountability for that. ... There's a long list of things that I wish I was better at. And I'm going to continue to work to grow and improve on and be better at [them].

"I'm always going to look in the mirror. ... Everyone is dealing with something, everyone has circumstances. If I went out there and played better and we won games, at the end of the day that falls on me that that didn't happen, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Young's rookie campaign in 2023 didn't go as planned. He threw for just one more touchdown (11) than interceptions (10) and was sacked 62 times while the Panthers lost all but two of his 16 starts.

The 2024 season got off to a rough start, too. Through two games, Young threw for 245 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions on 31-of-56 passing—good for a 44.1 passer rating.

Those poor stats—and the Panthers' 23-point loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and 37-point loss to the New Orleans Saints—led to Carolina opting to to trot Dalton out under center in Week 3.

NFL fans loved Young's response to getting benched:

The Panthers and Raiders are scheduled to kick off their Week 3 matchup at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

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Tom Dierberger

TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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