Back under center, Bryce Young has an opportunity to stay there

Six weeks after he was benched, Bryce Young is back.

The Panthers quarterback, picked first overall in 2023 after a trade that included (among other things) receiver DJ Moore and the first overall pick in 2024, will play. Young got back under center by a fluke. Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident. Now, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Young has an opportunity to keep the job.

While as Sunday Splash! reports go that one falls somewhere between Captain Obvious and "We Got Nothing Else This Morning," it's worth considering whether Young's forced break will make a difference. Young remained engaged throughout his Sunday sabbaticals, and he has gotten some first-team reps while mainly running the scout team.

Ultimately, Young needs to show he belongs in the NFL. He's done nothing yet that stands out. There's no eye-popping skillset. No indication that he's on a trajectory that could make him a franchise quarterback.

It's sink or swim in the NFL. And Young sank like a smooth stone. He'll try to dog paddle against a potent Denver defense. Yes, it's an opportunity. But has anything we saw during his 2-16 run as a starter made anyone confident that he's getting closer and closer to finding the light switch and flipping it?

Maybe he'll simply need a fresh start. Maybe the Panthers ruined him. If that's the case, hopefully he'll get a clean slate as soon as 2025, with Panthers owner David Tepper resisting the urge to give Young a chance to go to a new team and make the Panthers look even worse for failing to get the best out of him.