We have heard several across the landscape of football give their thoughts on Bryce Young getting benched by the Panthers.
Now, his former college football head coach unveils his feelings.
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Sep 18, 2021; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban talks with quarterback Bryce Young (9) against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Saban coached Young at the University of Alabama from 2020 to 2022. He watched the California native make remarkable plays, en route to winning the Heisman Memorial Trophy in 2021, leading the Crimson Tide to a Southeastern Conference Championship in 2021, and pacing the Tide to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2021.
Young, a former five-star, was one of college football’s most decorative quarterbacks.
He has now been benched for Andy Dalton in Carolina after a year and two games. Young was the No. 1 overall selection in 2023 NFL Draft, but Saban sees his former playmaker in an unfavorable situation. He explained it Friday on the Pat McAfee Show.
“I hate to see Bryce Young get benched but I also don’t see a lot of opportunity for him to be successful based on the skill players & offensive line around him..
He’s the type of player that can operate really well when he has good players around him”
Nick Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/uzZrbLuvIO
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 20, 2024
“I hate to see Bryce get benched, but I also don’t see a lot of opportunity for him to be successful based on the skill players they have around him, the offensive line they have around him, and I think he’s the type of player that can operate really well when he has good players around him,” Saban said.
Saban also mentioned the quarterback position is a very hard one to play, especially if the players around it do not play well.
“I think the quarterback sometimes gets too much credit, but I also think when things don’t go well the quarterback gets too much blame,” he said. “Do they have the players around Bryce Young to give him a chance to be successful? That is one of the bad things about being the first guy picked in the draft. You may go to a team that does not have all the pieces. I think the Bears this year, they have some pieces there. Carolina did not, and they have to build this thing from the ground up.”
Saban echoes the sentiment from others with statement in saying how Carolina set Young up for failure.
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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.
