Baker Mayfield’s encouraging Bryce Young message after Panthers QB’s benching: ‘Story is far, far from finished’

Panther quarterback Bryce Young’s story is “far, far from finished” following his benching on Monday amid an 0-2 start to the season.

That’s according to current Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, a previous first-overall pick like Young who experienced rocky seasons early in his NFL tenure — which included a stint in Carolina — before enjoying a career resurgence in Tampa Bay.

“Quarterback’s hard, especially for young guys when you’re not surrounded with the pieces, not given the opportunity to have success, and so, a lot of the time, the guys might have the talent, they might have the brains but they don’t have the opportunity or the right fit,” Mayfield told reporters Wednesday.

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“I mean, I’m sitting here right now in a way better fit than other places I’ve been, and that’s not to put other teams down, but it’s a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches. For Bryce, I can relate to this, finding that belief within yourself again, and he’ll get it. His story is far, far from finished.”

Mayfield, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Browns in 2018, was traded to Carolina in the summer of 2022 after Cleveland acquired his replacement in Deshaun Watson earlier this year.

He joined ex-Jet Sam Darnold — a fellow first-rounder who is now flushing with the Vikings — and played in seven games for the Panthers.

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Mayfield was released in late 2022 and had a five-game run with the Rams before signing with the Buccaneers in free agency last March.

Upon leading the Buccaneers to a 9-8 regular-season record and a surprise postseason run, Mayfield was awarded a three-year, $100 million contract in the spring.

He and the Bucs are off to a hot 2-0 start while NFC South rival Panthers remain winless after back-to-back blowout losses.

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Young, the No. 1 pick in last year’s NFL draft, will now suit up as the No. 2 quarterback behind veteran Andy Dalton, Panther coach Dave Canales confirmed Monday.

“This is something after I watched the film, I looked at it, had a thought, started working on talking to the guys that we make decisions with. Certainly a lot of parties involved there,” said Canales, who worked with Mayfield a season ago as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator.

“Ultimately this comes on me, and my No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win. And so this move, I believe, puts us in the best chance to do that this week.”

Young and those close to him were “very shocked” by the decision, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz , while prominent sports figures lambasted the Panthers over the move, including LeBron James.

Young owns a 2-16 record across a season-plus in Carolina, completing 70.9 percent of his passes for 3,122 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

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