Bryce Young's confidence
Bryce Young's confidence is gone. It was shattered last season and broken almost beyond repair under the new regime. Aside from a few fleeting moments, it was another demoralizing afternoon at the office.
Young was visibly deflated after throwing his interception to Patrick Surtain II. He cut a dejected figure on the sidelines and the whole offensive operation was a complete mess following an impressive opening drive.
The game management was woeful. Not having Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen didn't exactly help. But at the end of the day, Young didn't do enough to convince anybody that he's worthy of the starting gig moving forward.
Much will depend on whether Andy Dalton is healthy enough to participate in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints. If the veteran signal-caller is healthy enough to suit up, there's a good chance Dave Canales will go back to the proven commodity with questions about his ability to lead this team growing larger with every passing week.
What that means for Young's future is anyone's guess. But we're getting to the stage where a fresh start is the best possible solution for all parties.
Is there any way back for Bryce Young?
This did nothing to silence Bryce Young's doubters. He kept going until the end and showed some fight if nothing else, but it's going to be a long road back to any semblance of hope for his long-term future.
The Panthers might have no option other than to keep Young out there until Dalton is ready. Jack Plummer isn't going to improve anything. It is what it is at this point, so Carolina just needs to keep plowing forward and hope the answers to some glaring issues present themselves.
Young was the subject of trade interest with teams calling after his benching and leading up to the deadline. Dan Morgan has a big decision to make because the value is only going down the more he plays.
That might sound harsh, but a move away is the only way Young is going to stand any chance of not becoming one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
Another interesting few days await. Regardless of whether Young plays again or not, the organization is in complete disarray cemented to rock bottom. That's going to take years to resolve effectively.