Feb. 21, 2026, 6:04 a.m. ET
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young’s lowest low couldn’t keep him down.
Young sat down with former NFLers Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder on the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast. The soon-to-be fourth-year passer talked about the benching from his second season, a shocking development that caused some deep emotional struggles.
But Young, ever the optimist, used the setback to build up his comeback.
Take a listen . . .
After throwing for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in the first two outings of that campaign, Young—the No. 1 overall pick from the year prior—was benched for veteran Andy Dalton. But he got a second chance six weeks later, when a thumb injury from a car accident sidelined Dalton for the team’s Week 8 visit to Denver.
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Since then, Young has passed for 5,115 yards, 38 scores and 17 picks over 26 starts. More importantly, he’s fresh off helping lead Carolina to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and their first NFC South title since 2015.
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