Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban does not believe his former signal caller and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft has the talent around him to be successful in the NFL. Saban, who was making his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, was asked about the benching of Young, which was announced on Monday after Young threw for just 84 yards in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“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 have around him,” Saban said on Young’s benching. “And I think he’s the type of player that can really operate well when he has good players around him.”
Watch: Nick Saban comments on Panthers benching Bryce Young
To acquire Young, the Panthers traded wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft, a 2023 second-rounder, and 2024 first and second-round picks. The first-round pick turned into the No. 1 overall pick, which the Chicago Bears used to select USC QB and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
“Quarterback is a really hard position to play if the people around you don’t play well,” Saban said. “I think sometimes a quarterback gets too much credit. I also think sometimes when something doesn’t go well, the quarterback gets too much blame.
“Do they have the kind of players around Bryce Young that even gives him a chance to be successful? That’s one of the bad things about being the first guy picked in the draft — you may go to a team that doesn’t have all the pieces.”
As a rookie, Young completed 315-of-527 passing (59.8%) for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also added 39 rushes for 253 yards. The Panthers finished 2-15 with Young leading the offense, which led to the firing of head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer.
In the offseason, the Panthers hired then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who helped Baker Mayfield have a career-revitalizing season in 2023. The Panthers traded for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson ― who ranked first in the NFL in getting open from 2020-23 by ESPN analytics ― and drafted South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette in the first round.
However, through two games, Young has completed just 31-of-56 passes for 245 yards, averaging just 4.4 yards per passing attempt and has yet to throw a touchdown pass. Against the Chargers on Sunday, he completed 18 of 26 passes for 84 yards and threw an interception, with the 84 yards being the fourth-fewest in team history with at least 25 pass attempts.
According to Pro Football Focus grades, Carolina’s pass-blocking grade of 76.7 is the fifth-best in the NFL. However, the overall offensive grade (47.7), passing (31.4) and receiving (53.7) grades are the worst in the league. Saban still believes in Young, but the 23-year-old will need more help.
“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 who improves from his failings. So, hopefully, this will be an opportunity for him to do it again.”
