Panthers' Bryce Young on the bench: Is the former first-round pick one of the biggest quarterback flops of all time?

To say that things have been bad for the Carolina Panthers over the past few seasons would be an understatement. The club has fallen below .500 in each of the last six seasons and appears set to suffer the same fate in 2024. After an 0-2 start to the season, the club has since hit a new low, with the latest chapter revolving around the bench press by quarterback Bryce Young.

And that feels like the lowest point.

The highlight of Young's tenure in Carolina so far was essentially draft night, when the organization selected him with the No. 1 pick out of Alabama. However, the events that followed that selection made that decision age like milk. It is now being referred to as one of the worst draft moves in league history and Young as possibly one of the biggest draft flops.

Of course, the situation surrounding Young and the Panthers is complex when we talk about it in this context. Sure, on the surface we are evaluating an individual player and his poor performance on the field. For example, Young has won 2-16 games as a starter in his career so far, which is the third worst winning percentage (.111) by a quarterback since 1950 (minimum 15 starts).

It goes beyond Young's mere play, though, because Carolina gave up a lot to get him. Remember, the Panthers didn't have the 2023 first pick simply because they had the league's worst record the year before. That belonged to Chicago. So Carolina decided to trade up in the spring to select Young, in a deal that has since made the city look like the French Republic during the Louisiana Purchase.

Let's get into the details.

Bears-Panthers trade for No. 1 pick in 2023

As we know, the Panthers used that pick to select Young, who they hoped would save their franchise, and who now, less than two years later, plays second fiddle to Andy Dalton. What makes the mere selection of Young with the No. 1 pick even worse is the quarterback who came off the board right behind him: CJ Stroud.

The Houston Texans jumped at the opportunity to sign Stroud as their second pick, and the Ohio State product put together one of the best rookie seasons in league history. En route to being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud rewrote franchise rookie records with new passing yards, passing touchdowns and completions. He also led Houston to an AFC South title and a playoff victory during that stellar season.

Comparing this with Young's products is extremely one-sided.

And then there's what the Bears got in return. The club used the 2023 first-round pick to sign offensive tackle Darnell Wright, who started all 17 games as a rookie. Meanwhile, corner Tyrique Stevenson was brought in with the 2023 second-round pick, and he started all 16 games in his first season, recording 16 pass breakups and four interceptions. That allowed the team to add two starters.

The only player involved in that trade was Moore, who agreed to a massive $110 million contract extension in the offseason after setting new career highs in receptions (96), receiving yards (1,364) and receiving touchdowns (8) in his first season in Chicago. And he'll be just 27 years old when he starts the 2024 season.

Perhaps the biggest mistake in all of this, however, is Carolina's decision to give up the 2024 first-round pick that ultimately produced quarterback Caleb Williams. The Heisman Trophy winner established himself as a generational talent at USC, and the Bears were only able to sign him because the Panthers finished last season with the worst record in the league.

So if you count home games, Carolina missed Stroud because they drafted Young ahead of him, and then lost Williams because Young and the team went no better than 2-15 in the regular season.

If Stroud continues the path the NFL saw during his rookie season and Williams lives up to expectations, this trade of Young could be arguably the worst trade in recent memory, if not ever. Oh, and the Bears have another blue-chip pick (Carolina's 2025 second-round pick) on the line.