Nick Saban weighed in on the Carolina Panthers benching of quarterback Bryce Young.
Saban Doesn't Think Carolina Has the Right Tools
The former head coach of the Alabama football program was disheartened upon hearing the news and expressed that during his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Saban first discussed how intense the position of quarterback can be, especially if "the people around you don't play well." This set him up to dig in on Carolina's team more than Young's ability, arguing that the QB can "operate well when he has good players around him."
"Do they have the type of players around Bryce Young to even give him a chance to be successful," the Hall of Fame coach questioned. "That's one of the bad things about being the first guy picked in a draft. You may go to a team that doesn't have all the pieces that you need."
" [The Panthers] have to build this thing from the ground up. I hate to see Bryce get benched. But I also don't see a lot of opportunity for him to be successful based on the skill players they have around him, the offensive line they around him."
The 2023 #1 draft pick was a quarterback for Saban's Crimson Tide for three seasons. During his time, he finished second in program history for career passing yards (8,356) and passing touchdowns (80). Young also went on to win the Heisman in his first year as starting quarterback for the program.
Saban Stays Positive for His QB
Young was benched by the Panthers this week just two games into his sophomore campaign. His rookie season was one to forget, finishing with a 2-15 record and one of the worse QB ratings in the league. His second isn't off to a much better start either, as he threw for 245 yards and three interceptions in both losses to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 and Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
His former coach still sees the potential for success, as Young may have the chance to learn and develop a lot more this year.
"I think he's going to be positive about trying to learn and grow from this situation," Saban said. "He's always been a guy that sort of improved from his failings. Hopefully, this will be an opportunity for him to do it again."
