What Ron Rivera said about Bryce Young's mind-blowing return to Panthers lineup

Ron Rivera loved what he saw from Bryce Young.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) on the field in overtime at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Early on in the 2024 season, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales had to bench Bryce Young. The offense was not working, and Young looked like a shell of even the version of himself that wasn't great in his tumultuous rookie season. Things were trending in the wrong direction.

It's a decision former coach Ron Rivera never had to make. He had Cam Newton for all of his coaching tenure, only sitting him once as a violation for breaking the dress code on an away flight, but Newton played the game after one snap anyway. Rivera gave credit to Canales for making a tough decision he never had to, but he also praised Young for coming back and playing at an alarmingly high level.

Ron Rivera praised Bryce Young for his resurgent comeback

Ron Rivera admitted that it couldn't have been easy to sit Bryce Young down so quickly. "Coming into the season, I know their expectations and he didn’t start off strong. I thought Dave Canales did something very brave, and that was he benched him. He did it for a couple of reasons," Rivera said per Joe Person of The Athletic. "And one was it was early in the season and they still had a chance. I thought Andy Dalton came in and did a terrific job with the team."

He praised Andy Dalton, who just re-signed for two more seasons in Carolina, for mentoring Young as well. Rivera said that Canales probably kept on Young to stay positive, and more importantly, to stay ready for his next chance.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Panthers owner David Tepper talks with former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera during pregame warmups at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

"And lo and behold, guess what? He got his chance. What was impressive about it was while he was sitting back as the backup, he really stayed engaged it looked like. He stayed involved with the team. He didn’t go sulk," the former Coach of the Year added. "And I thought that was a very important thing. I’ve really gotta give him credit for keeping himself engaged. When he got his opportunity again, he showed (out)."

Rivera got a chance to see the impressive version of Young later on that season. He was back in Charlotte to call the game against the Arizona Cardinals, a game Young won 36-30 in overtime and eliminated the Cardinals from playoff contention.

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