LeBron James, the King of Hoops, is throwing his support behind Bryce Young, the Carolina Panthers’ young QB, telling him to keep his head up after losing his starting job.
LeBron’s Pep Talk for Bryce
So, LeBron took to X (formerly Twitter) to drop some wisdom on Bryce Young, the 2023 first overall pick who’s been having a rough time on the field. Here’s what LeBron had to say:
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)
I mean, if LeBron’s got your back, that’s gotta count for something, right?
Bryce’s Rocky Start
Bryce Young came into the NFL with sky-high expectations. Remember, this guy was the AP College Football Player of the Year in 2021, tossing 47 touchdowns and just 7 picks for nearly 4,900 yards. But, man, the NFL hasn’t been kind to him. Since last year’s draft, he’s gone 2-16 as a starter with 11 TDs and 13 interceptions. Ouch.
So, the Panthers decided to bench him in favor of veteran Andy Dalton for their next game against the Raiders. Head coach Dave Canales explained it like this:
“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.”
Panthers’ Persistent Struggles
But let’s be real, the Panthers have been a mess for a while now. They haven’t seen the playoffs since 2017 and haven’t sniffed the Super Bowl since 2015. Remember Super Bowl 50? They lost 24-10 to Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Since then, they’ve had three head coaches fired and finished last season with the worst record in the league at 2-15.
Through the first two games of 2024, they’re 0-2 and have only managed to score 13 points. Yikes.
Dave Canales declines to say what role David Tepper had in the Bryce Young decision.
— Joe Person (@josephperson)
LeBron’s Own Journey
Sure, football and basketball are different beasts, but LeBron knows a thing or two about turning a struggling team around. Drafted by the Cavs in 2003, they hadn’t made the playoffs since ’98. Even with LeBron, it took until the 2005-06 season to get back to the postseason.
In my opinion, Bryce Young has the talent, but he needs a better supporting cast and some time to develop. Who knows? Maybe he’ll have his own LeBron-like turnaround story someday.
So, what do you think? Will Bryce Young bounce back and prove the doubters wrong? Or are the Panthers destined for another season in the basement? Let me know!
