Lakers’ LeBron James Sends Words of Encouragement to Rising NFL Star

Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James offered words of encouragement to Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young after he was benched Monday.

The Panthers replaced Young with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton on Monday to give them a better chance to win. The Panthers were crushed in their first two games of the season by the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers by a combined score of 73-13 with Young at center.

James posted on X in support of Young on Tuesday. “Bryce Young, hang in there Young!! I’m rooting for you and know that it’s not your fault! Keep working hard and you will succeed!”

James obviously can’t really relate to what Young went through to start his career. While both were first-round picks in their respective drafts, James has had success off the game. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2004 and was an NBA All-Star in his second professional season. Young has not lived up to expectations at all so far.

In two games, Young had not thrown a touchdown pass and on Sunday he had just 84 yards and one interception on 18 completions. This season, he has completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 245 yards and three interceptions.

The first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft also struggled in his first campaign, when he completed just 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Panthers won just two games and finished with the worst record in the NFL.

The fault obviously doesn’t lie solely with Young, who didn’t have a strong supporting cast around him. To get Young’s first overall pick, the Panthers traded their top receiver, DJ Moore, to the Chicago Bears. The Panthers couldn’t protect him, as he was sacked 62 times in his rookie season.

James’ encouragement comes as Young is going through one of the toughest stretches of his football career, and the second-year quarterback could use it. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has been through a relatively similar situation, also said Young’s story is “far from over.”

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