PFT: Panthers Owner Tepper Wanted to Draft Bryce Young; Staff Agreed to Avoid Issues

David Jensen/

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Sunday that there's a belief that the decision to select Young was made by team owner David Tepper, and others fell in line because they didn't want to ruffle any feathers.

"It's believed in some league circles that the Panthers drafted Bryce Young because Tepper wanted him, and that the people who work for him are saying they did, too, because they know what's good for them," Florio stated.

At 1-9 entering Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, the Panthers are on their way to missing the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Young has thrown for 1,683 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, showing little improvement over the course of the season.

It's a far cry from what the Panthers expected when they traded up from the No. 9 pick by sending receiver D.J. Moore, a late-second-round pick (No. 61), a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears to acquire the top pick.

To make matters worse, other rookie quarterbacks like Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud have outperformed Young by a wide margin. Some are even wondering if Carolina head coach Frank Reich, who was hired prior to this season, will be fired sooner rather than later.

Florio added that it wouldn't be a surprise if that leads to a revelation that not everyone within the Panthers organization agreed with drafting Young No. 1 overall.

"If/when Tepper fires Reich or others on the current coaching staff, it will be interesting to see whether reports emerge that, for example, key members of the football operation preferred C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson, but that they didn't bother because the boss was getting whoever the boss wanted," Florio stated.