Should the Carolina Panthers cash out on benched quarterback Bryce Young?

Bryce Young's turbulent start to his NFL journey took another worrying turn. After another putrid performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, the Carolina Panthers benched the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft in favor of veteran backup Andy Dalton.

This was something that reportedly shocked the signal-caller, who thought he'd get a little extra time to turn things around. But with frustrations growing among the fanbase and in the locker room, head coach Dave Canales took drastic action just two weeks into his tenure.

Canales stated that Young would back up Dalton, so he'll still be involved. This could be the best thing that happens to the quarterback considering how low his confidence appears right now. However, it has the potential to fracture his relationship with the organization past the point of no return.

The Panthers made arguably their biggest investment ever when they traded from No. 9 to atop the 2023 draft after Scott Fitterer claimed this team was ready to drop in a quarterback and take off. They did it without a preferred quarterback in mind, which was their first mistake.

Differences of opinion between those in positions of power about who should be the guy were reported throughout the process. It eventually led them to Young over C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

Carolina Panthers should consider cutting their losses with Bryce Young

Stroud thrived with the Houston Texans while Young has plummeted to a shell of his former self. There's just no telling what the Panthers have in mind long-term, but a situation could emerge where general manager Dan Morgan cuts his losses entirely and ships him before the trade deadline.

That would be drastic. But it cannot be completely dismissed. The problem centers on what the Panthers could get back in return.

It would be nowhere near what they coughed up to the Chicago Bears for the privilege of their pick of college prospects in 2023. They wouldn't even get that for Young if he was a borderline Pro Bowl player. That's how bad it was.

There are always quarterback-needy teams around the league. Most also had a high opinion of Young during the pre-draft process, so there could be a market provided those franchises believe he can be fixed. Something in the region of a mid-round pick might be enough, in all honesty.

Young wouldn't be the first struggling Panthers player to leave and thrive elsewhere. Trading the Mater Dei High School product and watching him make a successful career for himself would sting. It would also be a damning indictment of how those in power mismanaged his critical early development.

Either way, the situation looks bleak for Young. The Panthers had such high hopes for him, and now he's broken almost beyond repair in this environment. Perhaps a fresh start is the best possible solution for all parties, but this would confirm Carolina's move to No. 1 as one of the worst trades in league history.

It's a precarious situation, and Young could be back in quickly if Dalton fluffs his lines. But the element of trust that was there previously between the quarterback and his head coach is now gone.

And there might not be any coming back from that.

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