Cam Newton and Bryce Young found themselves in fairly similar situations when they began their professional football careers. Both won the Heisman Trophy in college, both were the No. 1 pick in the draft, and both were expected to lead the mediocre Carolina Panthers to prominence.

But just because they were in a similar situation doesn’t necessarily mean they were in a similar environment. And the results couldn’t be more different.

Newton, in his latest episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newtonshared his thoughts on Carolina’s sudden trade of its struggling second-year quarterback. But instead of putting all the blame on Young, the franchise’s best passer is taking aim at the franchise itself…

As Newton notes, the Panthers lacked stability around Young. The 23-year-old had two different head coaches and three different offensive line managers in 19 games.

In those 19 games, Carolina went 2-17 (2-16 in Young’s starts), with Young averaging just 173.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Head coach Dave Canales pulled the plug here in 2024 after just two appearances in which Young totaled 245 passing yards and three interceptions.

Newton, on the other hand, was incredibly successful early in his NFL career. Not only did he triple his team’s win total in his first season and take the Panthers from 2-14 to a respectable 6-10 in 2011, but he also had a rookie season for the ages.

In his third year, Newton led the organization to an NFC South title – the first of three consecutive division titles. And in his fifth year, he led Carolina to its second Super Bowl appearance while becoming the first recipient of the franchise’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards.

Unfortunately, it’s now extremely difficult to imagine Young following a similar path to Newton – or even close. But maybe, just maybe, Bryce’s story in Carolina isn’t over yet.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers legend Cam Newton comments on Bryce Young’s substitution