Micah Parsons Sends Clear Message to Bryce Young After Panthers' Decision

It doesn't take long to be humbled in the NFL. Even for a former No. 1 overall pick.

The Carolina Panthers head coach, Dave Canales, announced on September 16 the team's plan to bench quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers traded up to No. 1 overall to draft Young just a year ago.

But Young is 2-16 as an NFL starter in his first 18 starts. This season, opponents have outscored the Panthers by 60 points in their two losses.

Those facts, though, didn't stop Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons from defending Young on his Bleacher Report video podcast, "The Edge."

Parsons also offered Young a message of support.

"Stay positive because it's hard, bro," Parsons said . "When you're a competitor and trying to be the best, you want great things for yourself, and then you get benched. You're like, 'Man, all this hard work I'm doing is just getting thrown away. They don't believe in me. They don't trust in me.'

Parsons added that what Young is currently experiencing can knock off anyone's confidence and belief in their ability, so he hopes the 23-year-old Panthers quarterback would stay positive and keep believing in himself.

"I just hope Bryce does that because I think you're the number one pick for a reason," Parsons added. "You've won titles. You know what a winning program looks like. I hope he gets back to that because the Bryce Young we saw at Alabama is the Bryce Young who we think could still play. We've seen it before."

Instead of Young, the Panthers will start veteran Andy Dalton in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The decision shocked pundits around the league, especially because the benching came after just two games this season.

The Panthers hired Canales in part because of how well he worked at revitalizing Baker Mayfield's career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But instead of continuing to develop Young, Canales and the Panthers will turn to Dalton, who has started 163 games in his 15-year career.