Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is taking after Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, telling the 2023 pick to stay focused on his goals after losing his first job.
James, one of the No. 1 pick himself, took to the X to show support for the former Alabama star on Tuesday, offering advice to a caller while adding that he's “fighting” for his success:
Bryce Young hold your head Young 🤴🏾!! Focus on yourself and know that this is not for you! Keep putting in the work and you will succeed! 🙏🏾🫡👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 18, 2024
Bryce Young, 23, entered the NFL with much anticipation in the football community. He was named the AP College Football Player of the Year in 2021 after throwing 47 touchdowns on 7 passes for 4,872 yards.
However, unlike Jacob, he has not lived up to expectations so far. Young is 2-16 as a starter with 11 of 13 touchdown passes since last year's draft.
As a result of his poor performance, the Panthers decided to turn to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton for their next game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James knows that Bryce Young plays for a bad Carolina Panthers team
Earlier this week, Panthers coach Dave Canales explained his decision to bench Young.
“This was something that after I watched the film, I looked at it, I had a thought, I started talking to the guys that we make decisions with,” Canales said Monday, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
“Of course, there are many groups involved there. Ultimately, this comes down to me, and my number 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers [to] victory. … This move, I believe, puts us in a very good position to do that this week.”
Of course, Carolina's struggles aren't all about 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 refuses to say what role David Tepper had in Bryce Young's 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 the worst record in the league at 2-15.
Since 2024, the Panthers have never had back-to-back seasons in which they finished above .500, although they have had several instances of finishing above-.500 one year and .500 the next.
Through the first two games of the 2024 season, the Panthers are 0-2 and likely to miss the playoffs again. Carolina has scored just 13 points in two games.
Although football is different from basketball, LeBron James was drafted in 2003 by a team that had not 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.
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