Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is hardly the first young NFL QB to get benched after a bad start to his career. While his play in 2024 may be a new level of gross, Young has plenty of other quarterbacks around the league to lean on for advice. To name a few, Michael Vick and Baker Mayfield – who were both number one overall picks themselves – say they still believe in Young.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith may not have been a top overall pick, but he knows all about getting benched after rough start. Smith was a starter for the New York Jets in 2013-2014, but he struggled, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns and completing less than 60% of his passes during that time. The Jets benched him and Smith didn’t get another chance to be a full-time starter until 2022 with Seattle. Smith has credited Carolina head coach Dave Canales for “breathing life” into his career.
Here’s the advice Smith offered for Young in an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show earlier this week.
Geno Smith on Bryce Young
“I’m pretty close with Dave Canales over there. Obviously, I know he has great respect for Bryce and I know that he thinks very highly of him and his skillset. I just think sometimes these things happen, and as a young player, we’re so competitive, you want to be out there, you want to play every single snap. For Bryce, taking a step back might not be the worst thing for him. Having an opportunity to learn and grow from a different vantage point where the spotlight’s not always on him and everything he does is not being scrutinized may actually help him.”…