Bryce Young Trade Rumors: Panthers 'Want This to Work' Despite Buzz at NFL Deadline

As Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young prepares to make his third consecutive start on Sunday, the Panthers dismissed calls from rival teams prior to the trade deadline for the second-year quarterback.

On the Scoop City podcast (starts at 11:45 mark), The Athletic's Dianna Russini said the Panthers "want this to work" with Young even though teams were calling about his availability in a trade.

There has been trade speculation around Young for weeks dating back to when he was benched by Carolina after Week 2. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sept. 21 "several teams" expressed interest in the 23-year-old, but the Panthers had no intention of dealing him.

After the trade deadline passed on Tuesday, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan told reporters they wanted to see how Young fares the rest of this season before they make any concrete decisions:

"Yeah, I think every week, you know, we're assessing Bryce. We're just seeing, taking it day by day, really just seeing him grow, seeing him develop, be under coach and work with him, learn under Andy. I think we do see him growing every day. We're excited to work with him and keep working with him in the future. At the end of the day, we'll have those conversations once the season ends and, we'll see where we're at."

Young was inserted back into the starting lineup in Week 8 after quarterback Andy Dalton was involved in a car crash on Oct. 22. He played one of the best games of his career on Sunday, finishing 16-of-26 for 171 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 23-22 win over the New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers are incentivized to see if they can get anything out of Young because of the price they paid to acquire the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to select him. Their March 2023 trade with the Chicago Bears cost them DJ Moore and four draft picks, one of which turned out to be the top pick in the 2024 draft.

There is almost no chance the Panthers ever get equal value out of that deal, but turning Young into a viable starter would at least make it look less bad.

If Young continues to start for the rest of this season and plays well, the Panthers will then be able to decide if they think he is a viable option for them in 2025 or explore trade options during the offseason.