Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers had a chance to pick up their second victory of the season on Thursday night as they went up against the also-lowly Chicago Bears. But they came up short in a showdown of rookie quarterbacks, which predictably became a defensive battle between two anemic offenses.

How Much Of The Panthers’ Struggles Rest On Bryce Young

Chicago Bears UNDRAFTED rookie from Shepherd College Tyson Bagent took down 1st overall pick and Heisman trophy winner Carolina Panthers Bryce Young pic.twitter.com/x3m1Uqg21M

— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) November 10, 2023

The Panthers are now 1-8 and are tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the worst record in the NFL, and Young hasn’t looked like the sure-fire prospect that made the Panthers select him first overall in the most recent draft.

It hasn’t helped that the guy drafted immediately after him is putting up better numbers than we’ve ever seen from a rookie. CJ Stroud is lighting the league on fire through the first half of the season, and currently has 14 touchdowns and has thrown just one interception. His Houston Texans are one of the surprise teams in the league at 4-4.

Bryce Young, on the other hand, has thrown 8 touchdowns and 7 picks. He entered the week with fewer passing yards than Kenny Pickett and Zach Wilson, and had the lowest QBR and 4th-lowest quarterback rating. He has looked like anything but a can’t-miss prospect, which has plenty of people already questioning if the Panthers made the right pick in the 2023 Draft.

Carolina Roster Is Devoid Of Elite Talent

: It’s impossible and unfair to judge #Panthers rookie QB Bryce Young this early because of how bad the Panthers’ roster is.

Fellow rookie QBs CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis have all shown promise and potential during their rookie seasons,… pic.twitter.com/fY1s4kMfaY

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 10, 2023

But how much of the troubles are Young’s fault The Panthers have a roster that is nearly devoid of any elite talent, and they traded away the player that would have been the team’s #1 wide receiver in order to acquire the rights to draft the rookie quarterback. The offensive line has done him no favors, as he has been sacked 4+ times on five different occasions this year, and they allowed eight pressures from Montez Sweat in his second game as a member of the Bears.

So while it may be easy to point at Bryce Young and use the “bust” label on a guy who has only played in 8 games, the circumstances surrounding the situation should be considered. The Panthers now have a mini-bye week after the Thursday night game, and will play against the Dallas Cowboys on the other side.