Panthers' ludicrous trade proposal swaps Bryce Young for another QB

This absurd Carolina Panthers trade proposal would ship out Bryce Young for another quarterback.

Dec 24, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) scrambles as Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (95) defends in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young definitely showed some positive signs during the second half of last season, so much so that some now feel comfortable calling him the Panthers' franchise quarterback. Others, however, are still not convinced.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, for example, has named Young in a wild trade proposal where Carolina would send the former No. 1 overall pick and a third-rounder to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for fellow quarterback Kyler Murray.

"Murray may still be eyeing a true breakout, but he fits the profile of a Dave Canales project as a gifted but unsteady veteran; Canales, remember, all but got the Panthers job thanks to his revival of both Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield," Benjamin wrote. "And Arizona? They're still finding their bearings under Jonathan Gannon, so is it really that much of a risk to go from Murray to Young, who ended 2024 with conviction? Maybe a move to the desert could truly spark his growth."

There really is no reason for the Panthers to make this trade.

While Murray has certainly proven more than Young thus far, he is anything but an elite signal-caller, and he is in the middle of a $230.5 million contract that runs through 2028 (that last year is a $34 million club option, featuring a $46.35 million cap hit).

At this juncture, Carolina would simply be better off rolling the dice on Young. He is still on his rookie contract, giving the Panthers a better opportunity to build around him. Plus, a very legitimate argument can be made that Young actually looked better than Murray down the stretch last season.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during organized team practice at the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe on May 28, 2025. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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