The Carolina Panthers pinned the long run hopes of the franchise on the again of Bryce Younger over the offseason. Carolina traded up from the No. 9 choose to No. 1 total to pick out the previous Alabama quarterback as the primary of three QBs to go inside the first 4 choices of spherical one. Transferring up for Younger price Carolina its 2024 first spherical draft choose, its finest vast receiver in D.J. Moore, and extra draft compensation, which was all delivered to the Chicago Bears.
If the Panthers thought Younger could be a franchise savior from day one, it’s positive wanting like he isn’t arrange for achievement proper now. The Panthers are the one winless workforce within the NFL after 5 weeks, and Younger’s rookie efficiency remains to be getting worse earlier than it will get higher.
Because the Detroit Lions beat up on the Panthers once more in Week 5, Younger threw a pair horrible interceptions that left followers brazenly questioning if Carolina made the unsuitable selection with the primary total choice.
Younger’s first interception of the day was a real eyesore. Watch it right here:
Lions defensive again Jerry Jacobs performed Younger like a fiddle right here. The defensive again bated the QB to throw the deeper route, solely to peel off his man beneath and seize the interception.
Younger’s second interception of the day got here off a superb play from rising Lions star Aiden Hutchinson. Hutchinson got here off his go rush to make an unbelievable one-handed inception. Whereas it’s a fantastic play, Younger must be smarter together with his choices.
Younger additionally threw a pair of landing passes within the sport. He threw a pleasant strike to D.J. Chark, and likewise threw a brief TD to Tommy Tremble.
Younger’s struggles are amplified by the truth that Carolina could be sending the No. 1 total choose within the 2024 NFL Draft to the Bears proper now. Whereas fellow prime picks C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson proceed to impress as rookie QBs, Younger and Panthers simply can’t get something going. The schedule doesn’t get any simpler subsequent week with the Miami Dolphins ready.
As our James Dator wrote this week, Younger is being let down by everybody round him in Carolina. At a sure level, will probably be his job to carry everybody else up. He nonetheless has a protracted technique to go earlier than he hits that stage.
