Buccaneers star Baker Mayfield comes to defense of Bryce Young, blames Panthers organization for QB’s struggles

On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield came to the defense of Carolina Panthers counterpart Bryce Young following his benching this week.

There has been no bigger story in the NFL this week than Panthers head coach Dave Canales making the bold decision to bench starting QB Bryce Young. The organization used the No. 1 overall selection in last year’s draft to take the former Alabama star. And it has been a rough road to this point.

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For much of 2023, the youngster struggled and endured many growing pains. It was a stark contrast to fellow rookie CJ Stroud who had a stellar showing in his debut season. The hope was that Canales — the coach that helped bring Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield back to relevancy — could fix the problems Young had last year. However, after two games he still looks like the player fans saw in 2023.

Young’s career in Carolina is now on very shaky ground and it has opened the door to speculation he could be replaced and traded in the near future . Most have dumped criticism on the QB in the days since his benching and have labeled him a draft bust. However, one person who believes he can still turn into the star that some predicted is Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield.

Baker Mayfield stats (2024): 474 passing yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 129.1 passer rating

Baker Mayfield says Bryce Young’s story is ‘far from finished’

Mayfield was also a top overall pick in the NFL Draft (2018) and has played for the Panthers franchise. He understands as much as anyone what Bryce Young is going through.

“Obviously, my [benching] didn’t happen in the same time frame as Bryce. But quarterback’s hard, especially for young guys when you’re not surrounded with the [necessary] pieces and not given the opportunity to have success,” he said during his weekly press conference Wednesday . “A lot of the time the guys have the talent, they might have the brains but they don’t have the right opportunity.

Baker Mayfield contract: Three years, $100 million

“I’m sitting here right now in a way better fit than the other places I played… For Bryce — I can relate to this — it will be about finding that belief in yourself again and he’ll get it. His story is far, far from finished.”

Mayfield earned Pro Bowl honor for the first time in 2023 during his debut season in Tampa Bay. And oddly enough it was with Canales as his QB coach.

Also Read: Where does Baker Mayfield land in our Week 3 NFL QB rankings?

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