It has been a tough week for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, benched by Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales in favor of Andy Dalton after a terrible start to his sophomore campaign. To Young's credit, he has handled it as well as possible in the eye of the public. Reports suggested he was unhappy about the decision behind the scenes, but to reporters and fans he's remained consistent in his positive messaging and being a team player.
Speaking to media on Thursday ahead of Carolina's next game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Young continued to do just that. He did also reveal that he was caught by surprise when he was benched— and that it wasn't exactly great to hear.
"Not something that I was necessarily expecting," Young said of his benching. "And obviously not something that was great to hear. But I respect Coach Canales. I respect the organization. Obviously they made a decision and it's on me to put them in that situation. Right now, that's the situation that it is."
It's a tough hand Young has been dealt, even if his play necessitated this change. A top draft pick doesn't often get benched so early into their second season, especially at quarterback, and Young has physically taken the brunt of his organization's failings in the pocket for the last 18 games. There have been few bright spots in his NFL career so far and now he lost his job.
It's not over yet. Not by a long shot. But a real tough stretch here for Young.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryce Young Admits Panthers Benching Took Him by Surprise .
