Several teams have expressed an interest in trading for quarterback Bryce Young, despite the fact coach Dave Canales said the Carolina Panthers do not intend to trade the former No. 1 overall pick, league sources told ESPN.
The Panthers have been contacted by certain teams, according to league sources, while other teams have mulled a Young trade within their own organizations.
Although the Panthers have said they don’t plan to trade Young at this time, sources around the league believe it is only a matter of time before Carolina actually does complete a deal involving the second-year quarterback — with the most likely time coming at some point in the offseason.
For now, the Panthers still would like Young to back up their new starter Andy Dalton and believe there is a chance they could turn to Young again later this season, depending on how the upcoming weeks play out, according to sources.
Young, who was benched Monday in favor of Dalton, has struggled and not looked like a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall, but he still is expected to return some trade value to Carolina — albeit far short of what the Panthers traded to the Bears last year move up to the No. 1 spot to select him in the draft.
In 2019, the Cardinals traded 2018 first-round draft pick Josh Rosen to the Dolphins for a second-round pick, the 62nd overall selection, that Arizona used on wide receiver Andy Isabella.
Last offseason, three former first-round quarterbacks were traded. The Jets traded former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, along with a seventh-round pick, to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick. The Bears traded former first-round pick Justin Fields to the Steelers for a sixth-round pick that could become a fourth-rounder based on playing time. The Patriots also traded former first-round pick Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick.
The Panthers are 2-16 with Young as their starter, which is the record worst through 18 games of any quarterback selected with the top pick in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Research. The Heisman Trophy winner has a 9.1 Total QBR so far this season, which is among the worst in league history for consecutive games.
Young said Thursday he was surprised to be benched but acknowledged there was “a long list of things that I wish was better and I’ll continue to work and grow and improve and be better at.”
When asked Wednesday whether the Panthers would consider trading Young, Canales did not hesitate in his response, saying a trade was “not something we’re really considering.”
Young’s teammates chimed in to defend the struggling quarterback, with running back Miles Sanders saying “it’s definitely not over” for the former Alabama star. Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen added that he was “very excited for [Young’s] future.”
“Watching him practice today, the throws he was making, his confidence — you know he can do this at a high level,” Thielen said. “”Sometimes it’s not all that bad to just take a step back and breathe.”
Dalton, 36, will start Sunday when the Panthers (0-2) visit the Las Vegas Raiders.
ESPN’s David Newton contributed to this report.