Things have gone from bad to worse for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. After a disastrous 2-15 season last year, the Panthers have looked even more uncompetitive in starting 0-2 this year… if that was even possible.
And now that the team has shockingly benched last year’s #1 overall pick in favor of Andy Dalton after just two games, there are serious questions about Young as it relates to his future as a starting quarterback in the league. And whether or not he will ultimately go down as one of the biggest draft busts of all time.
That’s the question that was laid out on Tuesday morning’s edition of First Take, and Stephen A. Smith did not shy away from the topic by rolling out some particularly brutal stats that Young has put up so far in Carolina. Just how brutal was it?
Stephen A. brought up the name of the poster child for NFL Draft busts – former Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell – in saying that Young could be the biggest bust ever.
Stephen A. Smith rolls out the brutal statistics of the Bryce Young era in Carolina before calling him “maybe the biggest bust in NFL history.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, JaMarcus Russell wasn’t even that bad.” pic.twitter.com/b0JA7NHVgk
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 17, 2024
“Last in yards per attempt, last in touchdown percentage, last in passer rating… Ladies and gentlemen, JaMarcus Russell wasn’t even that bad. And you know how I felt about JaMarcus Russell,” Smith said. “I mean, this is maybe the biggest bust in NFL history. These are the kinds of things that are starting to be brought up.”
And in case you think it’s hyperbole, Russell actually was 7-18 as a starter across three seasons with the Raiders while Bryce Young’s career win-loss mark stands at 2-16. While Young’s numbers are slightly better across the board as a passer in yards per game and completion percentage, it’s like comparing whether you want to be eaten by a shark or electrocuted by a battery in the ocean.
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