Bryce Young's NFL career has not started the way he had hoped. Young has won just two games in his first 18 starts in the NFL with just 3,122 passing yards and 10 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.

Tuscaloosa Thread logo
Get our free mobile app

Young's career took another southward turn this week, with it being announced on Monday that Young was benched by the Carolina Panthers in favor of backup quarterback Andy Dalton.

The Young saga has taken another turn, with ESPN analyst David Newton saying Bryce Young is "open to anything."

What does that mean? Young is open to being the Panthers' backup, the starter, and apparently, a trade as well.

ESPN analyst Dan Graziano mentioned a couple of teams that could be looking for a talented quarterback, including the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Miami Dolphins.

The Jets currently have Aaron Rodgers as the starter, but he is the oldest active player in the NFL, meaning there isn't much time left in his career. Young could get a change of scenery while learning from one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer when the time comes.

The Rams are in a similar situation with Matthew Stafford. With no clear plan to replace the veteran leader, Young could learn behind him for a season or two and take over with a host of good weapons, including Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp, and Puka Nacua.

The Seahawks currently have Geno Smith, but his regression from last year is starting to show. With Sam Howell in the wings, Young would have a tougher time competing for a starting job, but iron sharpens iron, and Young is familiar with quarterback battles from his time at Alabama. Having a big-play threat like DK Metcalf would certainly help Young's development, and he would join with Ryan Grubb, the new offensive coordinator in Seattle.

The Dolphins are in their own odd situation. With the future of Tagovailoa in doubt, Young could step in and serve as a valuable starter in his absence, and should Tagovailoa no longer be able to play football, the Dolphins have a host of threats offensively that would be any quarterback's dream. Miami is dealing with similar offensive line issues as Carolina, but an investment of draft capital and some big-name free agents could rejuvenate that line in just one offseason.

The failures in Carolina are not all Young's fault. With a patchwork offensive line, ineffective receivers, and a run game that is better on paper than on the field, Young was asked to elevate one of the worst rosters in the NFL immediately. Despite the lacking roster, Young is taking most of the blame, stating, "Every snap hit my hands, and I didn't do enough with it ...I'm always going to look in the mirror...if I went out there and played better and we won games we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The benching also blindsided him, similar to how a pass rusher would blindside him after blowing past his offensive line. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz said Young's team was "very shocked" at the benching and "didn't see it coming."

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said a trade is not being considered at this time, but with an owner like David Tepper, things can change in an instant.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.

Crimson Tide Floods Camp Randall

Gallery Credit: Wyatt Fulton

Alabama's 42-16 Win Over South Florida

Gallery Credit: Wyatt Fulton

Every Championship Nick Saban Won

Gallery Credit: Wyatt Fulton

Crimson Tide's NFL Draft First-Rounders During Saban's Tenure

Take a look back on the Crimson Tide's first round selections under head coach Nick Saban.

Gallery Credit: Jacob Harrison

Alabama's 63-0 Win Over Western Kentucky

Gallery Credit: Wyatt Fulton

Alabama's Final Four Loss to UConn

Gallery Credit: Wyatt Fulton

Sport Your Favorite Sports Station with Exclusive Tide 100.9 Gear

You already take us everywhere you go. Now you can show us off! Check out our Tide 100.9 collection on Threadless today.

Gallery Credit: Threadless, TSM

More From Tuscaloosa Thread