Everyone around the National Football League has voiced their opinion of Bryce Young’s benching.
The Carolina Panthers made the move after it started the season 0-2. Young, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, practiced with the scout-team Wednesday. He is now the backup to Andy Dalton moving forward, but many hope he can regain his confidence. Young has had people voice their support for him, including NBA star LeBron James, but now a former Alabama football standout weighed in on the situation. DeMeco Ryans was a decorative linebacker for the Crimson Tide from 2002-05.
RELATED: Panthers benching Bryce Young after 0-2 start
The former All-American has become a rockstar head coach in the NFL. He took the Houston Texans to the AFC playoffs in his first season and has turned CJ Stroud and Will Anderson into superstars. The 40-year-old discussed in a press conference about how unfair it is to much so much weight on a rookie quarterback.
Ryans said those guys have to learn.
DeMeco Ryans with some thoughtful comments on the weight placed on young quarterbacks in today’s NFL.
“We can’t expect every young quarterback that’s draft to come in and just tear the league up.”
The Panthers benched Bryce Young after 2 starts in his 2nd NFL season.
“You have… pic.twitter.com/kyd49fdsha
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“We can’t expect every young quarterback that’s drafted to come in and tear the league up,” Ryans said.
“It does not work that way. Just look at Peyton Manning and his first year. He is one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but it did not start off tearing the league up as a rookie. We have to be patient with all new quarterbacks. Some quarterbacks it takes a little more time than others, but it is about everyone being patient and not being so quick to crown the next superstar. It is hard to win in this league, it is hard to lead in this league, especially with how young these quarterbacks are coming in.”
Ryans said you have to go through growing pains in this league to become a pro. He is correct with this evaluation, especially in discussing Manning’s early struggles. Manning led the NFL for interceptions (28) as a rookie in 1998, but the Indianapolis Colts knew it had something special and it stayed with him. Manning would deliver the franchise a Super Bowl title in 2006.
RELATED: Panthers HC backs Bryce Young after another rough performance
Tom Brady did not start right away in New England. He sat behind Drew Bledsoe in 2000 and then got his chance in 2001 to become the greatest to ever play at the position. People consider Patrick Mahomes to be the greatest of all time right now, but he did not come in tearing the league up as a rookie. He learned behind Alex Smith in 2017, and then took the keys in 2018.
Carolina was not patient with Young, and that is what Ryans was getting at.
Hopefully, the former Heisman Trophy winner and Alabama standout will bounce back.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
