When a highly-touted No. 1 overall pick is benched, it often leads to widespread criticism.
In Bryce Young’s case, though, much of the blame is being directed at the Carolina Panthers rather than the young quarterback himself. The decision to bench Young, once seen as the future face of the franchise, has only further highlighted the organization’s struggles in recent years.
Nick Saban, who coached Young at Alabama and saw him thrive at the college level, shared his perspective on the situation during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I hate to see Bryce Young get benched, but I also don’t see a lot of opportunity for him to be successful based on the skill players they have around him, the offensive line they have around him,” said Saban.
The seven-time national champion made it clear that he believes the Panthers’ deficiencies—both in player talent and overall team stability—are making it difficult for Young to succeed.
Saban’s comments, though perhaps colored by his personal connection to Young, carry weight.
A quarterback, especially one early in his career, often relies on the support of a strong team to excel. Unfortunately for Young, the Panthers’ ongoing issues—including a subpar offensive line, lack of elite receivers, and constant coaching changes—are not providing the foundation he needs.
Although Young has struggled in his 18 games, completing just 59.3% of his passes and throwing more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (11), Saban still believes in his former quarterback’s resilience. He expressed confidence that Young will learn and grow from the experience, even if it seems unlikely that his Panthers tenure will be salvaged.
For now, Young must support new starter Andy Dalton and continue working to improve, hoping for better circumstances in the future.
