Geno Smith gives Panthers QB Bryce Young advice after being benched

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is hardly the first young NFL quarterback to be benched after a poor start to his career. While his play may reach new gross levels in 2024, Young has plenty of other quarterbacks around the league to lean on to look to him for advice. To name a few: Michael Vick and Baker Mayfield — both of whom were No. 1 overall picks themselves — say they still believe in Young.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith may not have been a top pick, but he knows exactly how to get benched after a rough start. Smith was a starter for the New York Jets from 2013 to 2014, but he struggled, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns and completing less than 60% of his passes during that time. The Jets benched him and Smith didn't get another chance to become a full-time starter until 2022 with Seattle. Smith praises Carolina head coach Dave Canales for “breathing life” into his career.

Here's the advice Smith gave Young during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show earlier this week.

“I’m pretty close to Dave Canales there. Obviously I know he has a lot of respect for Bryce and I know he thinks highly of him and his abilities. I just think things like that happen sometimes, and as a young player, we're so competitive, you want to be out there, you want to play every single snap. For Bryce, having the opportunity to learn and grow from a different perspective may not be the worst thing. He's not always in the spotlight and everything he does, unquestioned, can actually help him.”

Smith has certainly learned and grown during his time on the sidelines, and now he's a fringe top-10 starter after being considered the best backup player for nearly a full decade. The moral of the story is that it's far too early to give up on Young. However, a change of scenery could help him overcome the crisis more than anything else.

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