NFL Exec Blasts Tepper, Canales' Panthers as a 'Disaster' After Bryce Young Benched

After making the controversial decision to bench the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick in quarterback Bryce Young just two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers are reportedly being viewed as a mess of an organization by some within in the NFL.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, one anonymous league executive called the Panthers' situation a "disaster," and another expressed their belief that the Panthers made the mistake of trading up in the draft for an "outlier" prospect in Young and not doing enough to accentuate his positive traits.

After trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and star wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears in order to move up to the top spot in the 2023 NFL draft, the Panthers selected Young and quickly named him the starter as a rookie.

Early returns were not ideal, as Young went 2-14 in his debut season, completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Some gave Young a pass for his struggles as a rookie since the Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich during the season, but there was hope for improvement in 2024 following owner David Tepper and general manager Dan Morgan's hiring of Dave Canales as head coach after Canales worked wonders with quarterback Baker Mayfield as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Instead, Young and the Panthers came out of the gates this season looking even worse then last. Carolina fell 47-10 to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 and 26-3 to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, and Young completed just 55.4 percent of his passing attempts for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three picks.

While additional growing pains for Young were expected to some degree, Canales gave Young a quick hook, announcing that veteran Andy Dalton will be the team's starter for their Week 3 road game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

That doesn't necessarily mean Young won't be placed back in the starting lineup and given another chance at some point this season, but it is fair to wonder if his confidence will be shaken beyond repair.

Of course, Young is not fully to blame for the Panthers' struggles, as their defense has been utterly dominated and the offensive line has struggled to protect him, allowing six sacks through two games.

It is always of the utmost importance to get it right with the No. 1 overall pick, but Young and the Panthers are under the microscope even more than usual because of the enormous and immediate success of the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

After Carolina took Young, the Houston Texans selected quarterback C.J. Stroud, and all he did was orchestrate an immediate turnaround, leading Houston to an AFC South title and a playoff win last season.

Stroud was also named Offensive Rookie of the Year by virtue of completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions, and he is considered an early MVP contender so far this season.

It stands to reason that Stroud would not have enjoyed the instant success in Carolina that he has in Houston since it is a far worse situation by almost any metric, but it won't stop fans and pundits from believing the Panthers made a massive mistake.

Young playing well and flashing his potential is the only way to change that narrative, but at this point, it is anyone's guess when Young will be able to get back on the field.