GM Dan Morgan details unwavering belief in Bryce Young despite rocky start

Dan Morgan was part of the Carolina Panthers front office that decided Bryce Young was worth two first-round picks, DJ Moore, and other draft selections in 2023. In 2024, he was the leader of the front office that was tasked with salvaging that decision.

He worked over the offseason to do just that, beefing up the offensive line, drafting a receiver and trading for one, and hiring Dave Canales, the QB whisperer. At first, it looked like it was dead on arrival and that Young couldn't be saved. That's not how Morgan felt.

Panthers GM says he never wavered on Bryce Young's potential

From sagging shoulders and shaky footwork to soaring confidence and turn-away touchdown passes: A deep dive on how #Panthers QB Bryce Young got his groove back.

Happy Hump Day. https://t.co/WMCC0d5nCw
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 15, 2025

After two bad games, Bryce Young went to the bench. The very first pass of the season was intercepted. It didn't look good. “I always had the belief that Bryce was going to reach his potential," GM Dan Morgan said via The Athletic's Joe Person. "How that happened or when that came, I wasn’t sure. But I knew it was in there."

Morgan went on “When he was benched, I thought that was an opportunity for him to kind of sit back and just take a deep breath after a long previous season and first tough couple games. I think it was a really good thing for him in the long run. And to his credit, he’s come out and he’s really turned the page on that. We all feel really good about him being our quarterback of the future.”

Feb 1, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales speaks to the media as general manager Dan Morgan looks on during the introductory press conference at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The GM, who played linebacker for several years in Carolina, had to field calls about Young at the deadline. He opted not to trade him and start over at the position. That faith in Young was eventually rewarded, but Morgan said at the time that he never even considered trading Young midseason.

Now, the future is bright. It didn't always look like it was going to be, but the first-year GM certainly had his belief that it could be.

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