Ochocinco questions Carolina Panthers WR room in wake of Bryce Young benching

Two-time All Pro wide receiver Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson wants to know who Bryce Young was supposed to throw to in a critical situation.

Tim Weaver | Sep 18, 2024

CARMEL, IN - MARCH 22: Chad Ochocinco surprises customers with Reebok ZigTech apparel at Dick's Sporting Goods on March 22, 2011 in Carmel, Indiana. / (Photo by Michael Hickey/WireImage for Reebok)

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Carolina Panthers

We can't recall the Carolina Panthers getting this much media attention even in the week before Super Bowl 50. In the wake of the surprise benching of former number one overall draft pick Bryce Young, the Panthers have managed to beome the top story around the NFL - and everyone's got a take on how we got here and where they shold go next.

Most of those takes have centered around Young's failures and how much of it is the fault of the team and how much is on the QB himself. Some seem to think there's no redeeming what Young has done, while others have defended him. It seems former two-time All-Pro wide receiver Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson is in the latter camp. Here's what he told Shannon Sharpe about Carolina's receiver corps.

Ochocinco on Panthers wide receivers

"Look at the receiving corps in general. And I'm not trying to be disrespectful. You know, we're talking about twos and threes. Like who can Bryce Young in the time of need, life or death situation - he can come to the ball, get up under center and look at a receiver, and say 'you know what, right now on this play, I need you. I need you to win for me. Come hell or high water I know you got me, no matter what.' Who can he do that with? CJ Stroud got somebody to do it with. Patrick Mahomes got somebody to do it with. Joe Burrow got somebody to do it with. Like, you can go down the list of teams that always have one dog... one dog I can count on, no matter what... it's nothing."

Ocho has a point that this team doesn't have a true established WR1 on the roster right now. The last one they had was D.J. Moore, who they dealt to the Chicago Bears as part of the trade-up to draft Bryce Young. If we're really being honest, the last true star they had here left 10 years ago when Steve Smith went to the Baltimore Ravens.

Then again, we don't know what Ocho would have expected even a Hall of Fame receiver to do with what Young was throwing out there. Even with a couple of genuine receiver upgrades (Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette) Young got even worse. They may not have built a great supporting cast around him, but in a vaccuum Young was all-time bad in his two starts this year.