Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield reacts to Panthers benching Bryce Young

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is somewhat familiar with what Bryce Young is going through days after the Carolina Panthers benched Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. 

Mayfield voiced his support for Young while speaking with reporters on Wednesday. 

"Obviously [my career] didn't happen in the same time frame as Bryce, but quarterback is hard, especially for young guys when you're not surrounded with the pieces ... and you're not given the opportunity to have success," Mayfield said, as shared by Jenna Laine of ESPN.

The Cleveland Browns made Mayfield the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he guided that club to a playoff victory in January 2021. However, both the Browns and Panthers discarded Mayfield in 2022 before he found a new football home with the Buccaneers last year. 

"A lot of time," Mayfield explained, "guys have the talent. They might have the brains, but they don't have the right opportunity or the right fit. I'm sitting here right now in a way better fit than the other places I've been. That's not to put other teams down. But it's a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches."

In September 2023, Mayfield was attempting to prove he could serve as a QB1 for an NFL franchise. He has since added a second postseason victory to his career resume that helped him earn a new three-year deal to stay with Tampa Bay this past March.

"And for Bryce, a guy that -- I can relate to this -- finding that belief within yourself again. He'll get it. His story is far, far from finished," Mayfield continued.

Young, the first overall choice of the 2023 draft, reportedly was less than thrilled to learn shortly after his career record as an NFL starter dropped to 2-16 that he was being relegated to QB2 duties until further notice. 

Panthers head coach Dave Canales, Mayfield's offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers last season, insisted on Wednesday that Carolina trading Young anytime soon is "not something we’re really considering." 

"It's whatever they're doing -- I'm sure it's for a good reason, whether it's to just give Bryce time," Mayfield said about Canales' decision to bench Young. "Not in their building, not in their meetings, so can't really comment too much on it."