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Ghastly turnovers by Bryce Young has insiders asking if it's time to bench him again

Young is bringing down head coach Dave Canales, who may not have much of a choice but to make another change at quarterback.
Tim Weaver|
Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Bank of America Stadium.
Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Bank of America Stadium. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

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When Dave Canales benched Bryce Young last season after two atrocious starts to begin the season, it was hailed as a bold move from a coach who had to engineer some kind of change for his team. Truth is, Young really didn't leave him much of a choice.

With a QBR in Jimmy Clausen territory, Young was dragging the Carolina Panthers into the abyss like the front section of the Titanic slowly pulling the rest of the ship down with it. Young appeared to have gotten past that bottom-end type of play when he returned to the lineup, but now he seems to be right back where he started.

We're about midway through the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins, and Young has already committed two absolutely terrible turnovers. First, he coughed up a fumble when he found Bradley Chubb staring him down.

On the next drive, Young committed another ugly turnover when he threw a rocket over the middle of the field intended for Xavier Legette, but put far too much on the pass, resulting in an interception.

Interceptions happen sometimes, and so do fumbles. However, these two turnvoers are of the unforgivable variety. Even a rookie would have to expect he's in danger of getting pulled after making two plays like this. As you might expect, some folks are calling for the Panthers to bench Young again, including ESPN bet reporter David Newton.

It may seem hasty just five games into the season, but this could once again be a case of Young leaving his head coach with no choice.

It's difficult to see Young flounder like this after we spent the entire offseason defending him and believing he could continue to build on the promising finish we saw to his 2024 season. Instead, he's gone the exact opposite direction, and at this point we really don't know what the answer is except to bench him again and hope another reset will help him mentally.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.