Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has enjoyed a career resurrection after largely sitting on the bench for the first nine years of his NFL stint.
So he's a good person to ask about the situation in Carolina, where 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young has been benched for veteran Andy Dalton after just two starts this year (and 18 overall).
On that front, Smith had this to say to Rich Eisen (35-second mark).
"I'm pretty close with [Panthers head coach and ex-Seahawks QB coach/passing game coordinator Dave Canales] over there. Obviously, I know he has great respect for Bryce and I know that he thinks very highly of him and his skillset.
"I just think sometimes these things happen, and as a young player, we're so competitive, you want to be out there, you want to play every single snap.
"For Bryce, taking a step back might not be the worst thing for him. Having an opportunity to learn and grow from a different vantage point where the spotlight's not always on him and everything he does is not being scrutinized may actually help him.
"Every single person it's a case-by-case situation, and so I'm not in his shoes, I can't tell you what he's feeling, but I can say that I've been in that position, and I just wanted to work harder.
"I just wanted to be better, I didn't mope about it, I didn't feel sorry for myself. I just continued to work and believe in myself and know that if another opportunity came or when that opportunity came, I'd be ready for it. So I think Bryce has got to take that same mindset.
"Like I said he's got a great skillset, former Heisman winner, done a lot of great things at Alabama. He's got it, once he gets his opportunity again, go out there and make the most if it."
Smith was notably the New York Jets' starting quarterback in 2013 and 2014 before being benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015. Smith started only five games from 2015-2021 before starring for Seattle beginning in 2022, when he won Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Now he's leader of the 3-0 Seahawks, who look like one of the NFC's top teams thus far. Smith is in a great spot in his career after coming back from adversity and looking as though he'd never get another shot to start again.
Perhaps Young can take this time away, regroup and come back stronger. For now, Dalton is running the show in Carolina, which won its first game of the year last Sunday (36-22 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders) with the veteran guiding the offense.
