Panthers Send Ex-QB to Practice Squad After Bryce Young Demotion

On Monday morning, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced that he would be benching quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

This news came on the heels of a brutal 0-2 start to the season, with blowout losses to the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers by a combined score of 73-13.

The benching of Carolina's supposed franchise quarterback may have come as a surprise to him, but many others saw it coming following his performance in the first two games. In those two games, Young threw for 254 total yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions with a completion rate of 55.4%.

In a corresponding roster move, the Panthers also sent a familiar ex-quarterback to the practice squad in NFC South rival and Atlanta Falcons passer Feleipe Franks, according to CBS Sports .

Franks, who played college football for the Florida Gators, ended his time in Atlanta in August 2023. After being out of the NFL for some time, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers on July 26, 2024, but this time as a tight end.

Franks was promoted to the active roster to provide depth for the Panthers in their Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Franks played one offensive snap in Carolina's 26-3 loss.

The physical quarterback played in 28 games for the Gators from 2017-2019 before suffering an injury and transferring to Arkansas.

After a 10-game stint as a Razorback, Franks initially went undrafted. His NFL dream was realized when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a backup quarterback. After taking limited snaps at quarterback, the 6'6" former Gator began working as a tight end.

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