Cam Newton and Bryce Young were thrust into pretty similar situations to begin their pro football careers. Both were Heisman Trophy winners in college, both were No. 1 overall draft picks and both were expected to lead the middling Carolina Panthers to relevance.
But sharing a similar situation doesn’t mean they necessarily shared a similar environment. And, in turn, the results couldn’t be more different.
Newton, in his latest episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, gave his thoughts on Carolina’s sudden benching of the struggling second-year quarterback. But instead of placing all the blame on Young, the franchise’s all-leading passer takes some aim at the franchise itself . . .
As Newton notes, the Panthers have lacked stability around Young. The 23-year-old has now had two different head coaches and three different offensive play-callers over a 19-game span.
Those 19 games have seen Carolina go 2-17 (2-16 in Young’s starts), with Young throwing for a lowly 173.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Head coach Dave Canales pulled the plug after just two outings here in 2024, where Young has totaled 245 passing yards and three picks.
Newton, on the other hand, experienced incredible success early on in his NFL career. Not only did he triple his team’s win total in his very first season, pushing the 2-14 Panthers to a respectable 6-10 in 2011, but he also put on a rookie campaign for the ages in doing so.
By Year No. 3, Newton pulled the organization to an NFC South title—the first of three consecutive division crowns. And by Year No. 5, he led Carolina to their second-ever Super Bowl appearance while becoming the franchise’s first-ever recipient of the Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Unfortunately, it’s now extremely difficult to envision Young following a similar path to Newton’s—or anything even close to it. But maybe, just maybe, Bryce’s story still isn’t over in Carolina.
