Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is rallying behind Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, telling the 2023 first overall pick to stay focused on his goals after losing his starting job.
James, a fellow No. 1 overall pick himself, went to X to show support for the former Alabama star on Tuesday, offering some advice to the signal caller while adding he is “rooting for” his success:
Bryce Young hold ya head Young 🤴🏾!! Rooting for you and know this ain’t on you! Continue to put the work in and it shall prevail! 🙏🏾🫡👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 18, 2024
Bryce Young, 23, entered the NFL with high expectations from within the football community. He was named the AP College Football Player of the Year in 2021 after throwing 47 touchdowns to 7 interceptions for 4,872 yards.
However, unlike James, he has not lived up to those expectations to this point. Young is just 2-16 as a starter with 11 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions since last year’s draft.
As a result of his lackluster performances, the Panthers decided to turn toward veteran quarterback Andy Dalton for their upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James knows Bryce Young is playing for an awful Carolina Panthers team
Earlier this week, Panthers head coach Dave Canales explained his decision to bench Young.
“This was something that after I watched the film, I looked at it, had a thought, started talking to the guys that we make decisions with,” Canales said Monday, via Joe Person of The Athletic.
“Certainly, a lot of parties involved there. Ultimately, this comes on me, and my No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers [to] win. … This move, I believe, puts us in the best chance to do that this week.”
Of course, Carolina’s struggles aren’t all on Young. The Panthers have not made the playoffs since the 2017 season and have failed to advance to the Super Bowl since the 2015 season.
Dave Canales declines to say what role David Tepper had in the Bryce Young decision. pic.twitter.com/NR92UujGe4
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 16, 2024
In Super Bowl 50, the Panthers lost 24-10 with quarterback Cam Newton and head coach Ron Rivera against Hall-of-Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Since then, Carolina has failed to record a winning season and has fired three head coaches (Rivera in 2019, Matt Rhule in 2022, and Frank Reich in 2023). Last season, the Panthers finished with a league-worst 2-15 record.
As of 2024, the Panthers have never had consecutive seasons where they finished above .500, though they have had multiple cases of following an above-.500 finish one year with a .500 season the next.
Through the first two games of the 2024 season, the Panthers are 0-2 and will likely miss the playoffs again. Carolina has only scored 13 points over two games.
Although football is different from basketball, LeBron James was drafted by a team in 2003 that hadn’t made the playoffs since the 1997-98 season. Even with James, the Cleveland Cavaliers did not return to the postseason until the 2005-06 campaign.
