In a candid discussion on The Pivot Podcast, Bryce Young opened up about the emotional turmoil he experienced after being benched by the Carolina Panthers early in his second season. Just a few games into the 2024 season, under the new leadership of head coach Dave Canales, the decision was made to replace the struggling Young with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.
After being selected as the first overall pick, Young”s start to his career was marred by issues within the front office and coaching staff, contributing to his underwhelming performance. He had not previously addressed the fallout from the benching until this recent appearance on the podcast, where he shared his raw and emotional reaction to the news that he would no longer be the starter.
“That was a place I”d never been at before,” Young stated. “Obviously, not something that I was expecting. You never think things could go that way, turn out that way. So in the moment, obviously, it was a lot. It was hard. It was really difficult at that time. Obviously, you”re working through the emotions in real time.”
Young described a moment of confusion as he drove aimlessly, not wanting to return home. “I drove around. Like, I didn”t want to go back home. Like, I just drove for, like, hours, and I didn”t know where I was going,” he recalled. “I put Atlanta in my GPS. Like, I knew I wasn”t going to go all the way to Atlanta. But I was just, like, I didn”t know what was up, what was down in that time.”
Throughout this challenging period, Young made a conscious effort to maintain his integrity and positivity. “I want to challenge myself to be the same person. Like, I don”t want this to change my personality. I don”t want to show up to work with bad energy. I don”t want to be a bad teammate,” he explained. “But yeah, being benched, again, I had no experience with that, so it was definitely a humbling experience.”
Eventually, Young reclaimed his starting position after Dalton was injured later that season and did not relinquish the job again. This resurgence propelled him into the following season, where he and Canales formed a more effective partnership, leading the Panthers to their first playoff appearance since 2017. They narrowly lost to the Los Angeles Rams in a thrilling game that ended 38-35.
Looking back on the challenges of his second season, Young now considers the initial benching a valuable lesson. “Faith-wise, it was really big for me,” Young reflected. “I”ve always been a believer. I”ve always had faith. I”ve always had a walk with God. But I think that it was a blessing to be able to experience it. I”ve had a lot of positive experiences in my career up until that point, and then it took a quick turn.”
He added, “I trust in God. I believe whatever it is, I always give it up to him. But that was one of the first times in a professional sense that I had no choice. I think that wasn”t an accident. I think God put me there to know that faith is real, to strengthen my faith, and to experience God in a different way. I am super grateful for that.”
