Should Panthers look into outside options at QB? Examining potential trade targets around the NFL

Bryce Young bombed the 2024 season opener, raising questions about whether the Panthers should start over at QB again.

Tim Weaver | Sep 11, 2024

Aug 13, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) shakes hands with Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (R) after their game at FedExField. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

In this story:

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are probably busy tearing their hair out in the front office right now, desperately trying to find a solution to the massive new problem that just popped up in the middle of their defensive line. Yesterday Carolina's top defender Derrick Brown was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2024 season after just one game. While finding a replacement for Brown should be high on their priorities, there's a much bigger and more long-term problem that the Panthers front office has to deal with: their sad situation at quarterback.

After an awful rookie season, Bryce Young inspired some hope over the offseason that he'd come out of the gate in 2024 looking like a different quarterback. Unfortunately, all we got was more of the same in Week 1's loss to the New Orleans Saints, as Young earned the lowest grade on Carolina's offense after throwing two interceptions and finishing with zero passing touchdowns and less than 200 total passing yards.

If Young continues to struggle, the team's best hope of replacing him with an upgrade will likely be found in the 2025 NFL draft, especially because they'll probably be picking first overall again. That's a long time to wait for a fanbase that's desperate for anything positive, though - and with Dak Prescott re-upping with the Dallas Cowboys next year's free agent class is pretty sparse.

That means right now the Panthers should be thinking about exploring a trade for another quarterback around the league who might be able to put something better on the field than Young in 2024. Here are four that come to mind.

Seahawks QB Sam Howell

The best potential option for the Panthers in our opinion is Sam Howell, who the Seattle Seahawks gave up the equivalent of a seventh-round draft pick for a few months ago. Howell of course played his college football at North Carolina, where he put up 92 passing touchdowns and over 10,000 yards in three years as their starter. After that the Washington Commanders picked him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was effectively red-shirted his rookie season, then started 17 games for Washington last year. The results weren't pretty, but Howell's supporting cast was terrible and he did display some tantalizing attributes, namely a gamer's spirit and some incredible arm talent. Howell's game bares striking similarities to that of Baker Mayfield, who got his career back on track thanks to the influence of Carolina head coach Dave Canales. That makes Howell a very interesting fit for the Panthers if they could convince Seattle to part with him.

Giants QB Drew Lock

Another QB who has previously worked with Canales is Drew Lock, who was on Seattle's roster in 2022 when Canales was still their quarterbacks coach. After backing up Geno Smith for two seasons, Lock signed with the New York Giants in free agency. If Daniel Jones continues to flounder, Lock should get a chance to see what he can do with the Giants. However, the Panthers could strike first and try to land another quarterback with a big arm who might be considered a distressed asset. Lock performed quite well last year in one of his two starts while Geno Smith was injured, leading the Seahawks to a thrilling win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Bills QB Mitch Trubisky

While it's a nice thought, odds are the Seahawks and the Giants are not going to part with Howell or Lock unless the Panthers make an absurd, lopsided offer that they'd end up regretting in the long run. That means Carolina may have to settle for some second-tier backup quarterback targets. One name that makes sense is Mitch Trubisky of the Buffalo Bills, who like Howell played his college ball at North Carolina. For some reason the Chicago Bears thought his work there was worth making him a top-five overall pick, and that went about as well as you'd expect. While he was never worth a first (or second or third) round draft pick, Trubisky is a pretty solid backup QB option. Josh Allen isn't going anywhere, so the Bills may decide it'd be worth it to get at least something for Trubisky while he's still young.

49ers QB Joshua Dobbs

The most outside-the-box option we could come up with was Joshua Dobbs, who's playing for his fifth NFL team in as many years. Dobbs was a stud at Tennnessee, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were impressed enough to pick him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Dobbs never caught on in Pittsburgh, though and he's become a bit of a round-tripper. Last season Dobbs showed some genuine ability though when he started four games for the Minnesota Vikings. During his run Dobbs went 2-2 as a starter, throwing for 895 yards and five scores and running for another 163 yards and three touchdowns. Dobbs may not be a long-term answer at QB, but he would certainly make things more interesting in Charlotte while they await their next potential franchise starter.