Baker Mayfield: Bryce Young's NFL Story 'Far from Finished' After Panthers Benching

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was waived by the Carolina Panthers in 2022, is confident that fellow former No. 1 pick Bryce Young's time in the NFL won't be defined by his recent benching.

"Quarterback's hard, especially for young guys, when you're not surrounded by the pieces, not given the opportunity to have success," Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday. "A lot of the time, guys have the talent, they might have the brains, but they don't have the right opportunity, the right fit. I mean, I'm sitting here, right now, in a way better fit than the other places I've been. That's not to put other teams down, but it's a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches.

"For Bryce, a guy that can relate to this, finding that belief within yourself again, and he'll get it. His story's far, far from finished."

Panthers head coach Dave Canales informed Young on Monday that he would be benched for Sunday's game at the Las Vegas Raiders. The No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft has gone 31-of-56 for 244 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions through two starts, both losses.

Canales told reporters he had decided to give backup Andy Dalton the next start after re-watching the Panthers' 26-3 Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

He declined to say whether Dalton would remain the Panthers' starter going forward.

"After watching the film and taking in all of the information I feel like Andy gives us the best chance to win," Canales said.

Canales' comments was similar to how Steve Wilks, then the team's interim head coach, described the Panthers' decision to waive Mayfield in December 2022 as "something I felt like was the best move for the team moving forward.''

At the time Mayfield had thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions in seven appearances for Carolina, six of which ended in losses.

Two years and two teams later, Mayfield, fresh out of a Pro Bowl campaign as the Bucs' starting quarterback, is off to a 2-0 start in Tampa Bay.

Now the Cleveland Browns' No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft will hope for a similar upswing for Young, who struggled during his rookie campaign as he led the Panthers to a 2-14 record through 16 starts.

In 2023 Young completed 59.8 percent of his passes, while throwing 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and losing an NFL-high 477 yards to sacks, as the Panthers tumbled to the bottom of the league standings in 2023.

Young's passing struggles have continued so far this season, with the signal-caller recording a score on a scramble but unable to throw a touchdown pass as the Panthers were outscored by a combined 60 points by the Chargers and New Orleans Saints.

Mayfield's former teammate, retired NFL legend Tom Brady, recently expressed concern that teams are rushing young quarterbacks' development by starting them too early in their NFL careers. As was the case with Mayfield, who became a star in his sixth NFL season, Young may need more time in order to live up to the expectations placed on him when the Panthers traded with the Chicago Bears in order to draft him in 2023.