Bryce Young favorably compared to former Panthers flameout

The Carolina Panthers haven't exactly been a QB haven since Cam Newton was released. Teddy Bridgewater was serviceable, and then began the revolving door of reclamation projects leading to the Bryce Young experiment.

Young, for what it's worth, appears now to at least be the temporary franchise guy, though that was far from obvious for a very long time. Baker Mayfield never was, but he has morphed into that and more elsewhere. That's why one insider believes Young now resembles the former Panther scout team DE.

Bryce Young lands impressive Baker Mayfield comparison

Baker Mayfield, Bryce Youn — Dec 3, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) greats Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after a game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Baker Mayfield was not very good with the Panthers, and he was released before the season ended in 2021 and landed with the Los Angeles Rams. Now, he's arguably on his way to an MVP award with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Young hasn't had the long run to greatness (neither the long run nor the greatness) that Mayfield has, but the comparison is easy to see. A player who's immensely talented but struggled in Carolina going elsewhere to succeed.

If Young does end up somewhere else, he'll probably follow the Mayfield and Sam Darnold track, but for now, Young is seemingly on the improvement circuit in Carolina, so he's doing what Mayfield and Darnold couldn't.

The Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler aptly wrote, "Young and Mayfield are vertically-challenged former No. 1 overall picks who won the Heisman Trophy in college, then experienced numerous ups and downs in the pros without ever wavering in the belief that they were pretty d**n good."

It was largely an organizational problem for Mayfield, since he's clearly supremely talented and capable. It was initially an organizational problem for Young, too, but the tides are turning on that front.

"Mayfield, remember, has a five-year head start on his pro career. He entered the NFL in 2018, while Young started his in 2023. But at least we can see there’s a possibility of that now," Fowler added. "The Panthers obviously made huge mistakes with Mayfield, all the way around. With Young, they must not repeat them."

The similarities are rather striking. Carolina can only hope that the resurgence and proof that Young was always a talented QB in need of the right situation will continue happening in Charlotte. Otherwise, they'll try to repeat this process with some other unfortunate rookie.

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