All of Carolina’s trust in Bryce Young’s abilities has faded after just two games. After all the positive reports coming out from the Panthers camp this offseason about Young’s improvement from last season, the team benched him for Week 3. While the Panthers are just now seeing the follies of the QB, it seems Stephen A. Smith predicted this long ago.
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Young’s benching didn’t come as a surprise to Smith, who had predicted this outcome when he first met the Panthers QB.
During a segment of his show, Smith revisited his first meeting with the former Heisman winner in Arizona in 2023, where he was struck by Young’s lack of height:
“As much as I love him…and he was an absolute stud before he got drafted, here is what I was saying after meeting Bryce Young in Arizona, ‘This kid is sensational. I met him on Super Bowl Sunday coach, and I couldn’t believe how small he was.'”
Smith voiced his concerns about Young’s stature to then-Alabama coach Nick Saban, but the seven-time national champion defended Young, emphasizing that the QB had much to offer despite his size.
While Smith acknowledged Young’s impressive skill set, he believes that the quarterback’s size hinders his ability to be successful in the big leagues.
Young’s recent benching by Carolina, in Smith’s eyes, validated his initial concerns, and he remains doubtful that Young can overcome those limitations to find success. He further added,
“I was right. Bryce Young, it ain’t about skill set. It’s about his size and his lack of prowess on the NFL level. He’s just too small.”
Young started his 2nd season similarly to his first. He looked miserable out there, throwing three interceptions in his first two games with zero touchdowns to speak of.
He was also sacked six times in those two outings and completed only 55% of his passes for merely 245 yards.
Nick Saban is yet to comment on Young’s current situation but he voraciously defended his former QB when Smith expressed his concerns to him.
Saban’s defense for Young’s lack of size
During their previous conversation, the former Alabama coach defended Young for his obvious limitations. He believed that the QB’s height was a non-issue as it came down to the skill set of each player. He compared the Panthers shot-callers QB play to a point guard in basketball:
“I don’t think it’s an issue. I think you have to look at each individual player…He knows where everybody is, he can extend plays, and he creates throwing lanes for himself which is important for a guy of his size.”
Saban pointed out that the 2023 first-overall pick understands the game and can extend plays, is aware of his limited physical stature, and knows how to overcome it by creating passing lanes for himself.
According to Saban, Young has every throw in his arsenal, is a technically gifted and intelligent quarterback, and is also physiologically resilient. However, all that has yet to help him in the big games.
Young’s story in the NFL is still unfinished. There is still a lot of football left in him and there is a lot of time for him to make improvements.
As both Smith and Saban noted, the skills are there—it’s simply a matter of confidence in putting those tangible qualities to use. It remains to be seen who in the end is proven right- Stephen A. or Saban.
