Six landing spots that could save Panthers QB Bryce Young's career

We learned one thing for certain about Bryce Young after his first 18 NFL starts. The Carolina Panthers quarterback cannot overcome an adverse situation. 

It's not a knock on him. It's just the truth we've seen in his limited playing time.

The offensive line, the lack of pass-catchers, the change of system — none of that helped the young quarterback acclimate to the NFL. 

While Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Trevor Lawrence — all former No. 1 overall picks — struggled in their rookie years, they all showed different levels of progress in Year 2 despite middling support. Then there are instant successes, like C.J. Stroud, who just so happened to be drafted one spot behind Young. (Ouch.)

Even with the Panthers hiring coach Dave Canales, an acclaimed QB whisperer, Young has looked like the same broken quarterback in 2024.

When Carolina benched him on Monday, it sparked trade speculation. It's hard to imagine Young becoming the starter again for the Panthers. (Look at what happened with Zach Wilson and the Jets.) This feels like the beginning of the end for Young in Carolina.

Given that Trey Lance, the No. 3 pick of the 2021 draft, netted a fourth-rounder in the 49ers' deal with Dallas, I think Young will probably be worth at least a third-rounder — and maybe (but not likely) a second-round pick.

I think that teams could have one of three plans for him.

1. They can dust him off and see if he can play now.

This option, to me, would not be wise. The kid isn't what he was just 16 months ago. He needs to hit pause on his career and reassess himself. Young will have to strip down all the bad habits before he starts building positive ones. But the NFL is a league full of headstrong evaluators and coaches who love to fix things. Maybe a team thinks Young could come in and help right away.

2. They can let him sit on the bench until at least 2025.

This is a good plan. Give Young a year. Let him start over behind a veteran or two. And then maybe in a training camp over the next two years (the remainder of his rookie contract), Young can compete for a starting role. 

3. They can rebuild him for the sake of trading him.

The Patriots used to draft quarterbacks behind Tom Brady and develop them. Eventually, New England would trade the backups for the same value or better. Quarterbacks can be a fast-appreciating asset when bought low and sold high. So if a team that's atop the league wants a QB for that exact reason, it could be mutually beneficial for Young.

Which teams might want Young? Let's look.

Miami Dolphins (Plan 1)

Wanna test the power of Mike McDaniel's system?

I mean, seriously, is there any better test for McDaniel to go from Tua Tagovailoa to Young? 

McDaniel's system can teach Young what he needed to learn coming out of Alabama: pocket passing, quick game, spot throwing, timing focus.

With Tagovailoa on IR due to his concussion, the Dolphins need a quarterback, badly. Young is … kinda still a quarterback.

But if you delve a little deeper, there are some obvious problems. The first is that Young can't stand in the pocket, use the quick game, throw to spots or focus on timing. The second problem is that McDaniel's system is based on Tua's rhythm and timing. He might be a system quarterback, but the system is also … the quarterback. All the drops and routes are based on Tua's movements. So Young can't simply step in without an offseason of reps.

Many are suggesting that the Dolphins trade for Young and put him in at some point this year. I don't think they would put him in before he’s ready. I'd be more comfortable if Miami wanted him for Plan 2 — as a backup plan in case Tagovailoa's health concerns become a long-term issue. 

Las Vegas Raiders (Plan 1)

They definitely need a quarterback. Gardner Minshew puts up good numbers but not always good film. And eventually, the Raiders will tire of him just like several other teams have. (Minshew has now played for four teams, but it feels like 32, doesn't it?)

When the Minshew experiment fails, the Young experiment could begin. Young might not have the strongest run game — the Raiders rank 31st in run blocking, per PFF. But the line is holding up at 13th in pass blocking (admittedly worse than the Panthers at fifth), and the pass-catching situation is basically a quarterback's dream. WR1? Davante Adams. Possession chain-mover? Jakobi Meyers. Safety net tight end? Well, they have two: Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.

No situation will be perfect for a QB joining another team at midseason. But I don't hate this one.

New York Giants (Plan 2)

Daniel Jones might be the next quarterback on the chopping block after Young. But I think Brian Daboll will move to Drew Lock to see what he can do. If Daboll is on the brink of getting fired, maybe he would try out Young in the offense. But Daboll should plainly see that Young would fail for all the same reasons he did in Carolina.

If the Giants run through Jones and Lock (and, in turn, lose a ton of games), they’ll probably fire Daboll and draft a quarterback. But Daboll isn't thinking that way. He probably thinks he can eke out an 8-9 record and keep his job. But at that point, the Giants will be itching for a new QB, and they're probably not going to find a great one in the middle of the first round. So Young could compete against a free agent in camp in 2025, which would be a pretty solid opportunity.

Los Angeles Rams (Plan 2)

Jimmy Garoppolo is currently attending Camp McVay. But let's toss Young into the mix. This would be a truly ideal situation for the Panthers QB. The Rams are going to stick with Matthew Stafford (barring a shocking trade) for the remainder of the year. But McVay has to be thinking about who might be his QB of the future. Maybe Young would remind McVay too much of Jared Goff. Maybe not.

But McVay did wonders for Baker Mayfield, another QB tainted by Carolina.

Why not give Young a try?

San Francisco 49ers (Plan 3)

If not Camp McVay — then Camp Shanahan will do.

The 49ers are happy with Brock Purdy. He's about to get a massive deal. But it wouldn't hurt to develop a backup behind Purdy.

Purdy (6-foot-1, 210) isn't as small as Young (5-foot-10, 204) but the Iowa State product could teach Young a few things about finding throwing windows in the pocket despite being a smaller QB. But most of all, it's about Shanahan, who would be a good tutor for Young. It's a healthy organization and a quarterback-friendly system. Young could reset his skills and rebuild his value. Maybe he'd enter free agency in 2027 with a real chance of starting.

Kansas City Chiefs (Plan 3)

If not Camp McVay or Camp Shanahan — then, yeah, how about Camp Reid? 

It may be the best of all situations for Young.

You're probably thinking that Kansas City's system couldn't be more wrong for Young. But — folks — Alex Smith loved this system. It's good for everyone. Every quarterback. Of every type.

The Chiefs would put Young to work and develop him behind the scenes. It's just the type of project that GM Brett Veach likes.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

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