Bryce Young was drafted No. 1 overall this year by the Panthers, but the quarterback has since won just one game.
Young’s performance is sharply contrasted by the No. 2 pick, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s dominated the NFL this season with his top rated performances.
So, when Panthers coach Frank Reich was fired last week, a question of whether Young’s rough rookie season had anything to do with the owner David Tepper’s decision about the coach came up.
“Stroud’s early success 100 percent played into Tepper’s decision to fire Frank Reich. We all felt the pressure and frustrations,” a Panthers source told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. “It’s hard to step in and carry the weight of a franchise, and Bryce has it harder than most here.”
Tepper admitted after Reich’s firing that the team is still “totally confident” in the decision to draft Young despite his early struggles.
Through 11 games, Stroud has thrown for 3,266 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. Young has thrown for 1,877 passing yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions through just as many contests.
