Lawrence urges Young to 'stay the course' amid rookie year struggles
No one likely understands Bryce Young's frustrations amid a poor first NFL season better than Trevor Lawrence, who also struggled as a rookie despite being hyped as the best quarterback prospect in a decade.
After the Carolina Panthers suffered their 14th loss of the season to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lawrence - who missed Sunday's game with a shoulder injury - advised Young to keep his head down.
"It seems like our rookie years are kind of going similar up until this point," Lawrence said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "I would just say for him to just stay the course. There's no denying he's a super-talented guy. He has all the tools and tangibles."
The usually even-keeled Young lost his composure on the sideline in the second quarter of the 26-0 defeat, tossing his tablet in anger.
Frustrations boiling over for Bryce Young as he smashes his tablet on the sideline.
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 31, 2023
It’s been a rough rookie year for him. pic.twitter.com/TU1pn9aWoX
"I was just frustrated with myself," Young said. "I'd just missed a third down we've got to make."
With one game remaining, Young has just 2,783 passing yards and 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions. His completion percentage (59.7) and yards per attempt (5.5) rank among the worst marks in the league, while only Sam Howell has taken more sacks than Young's 59.
Lawrence's stats were similar to Young's as a rookie. He had only 12 passing scores to an NFL-high 17 picks in 2021. But the 24-year-old rebounded strongly last season, more than doubling his touchdown total (25) while reducing his interceptions by over half (eight).
The Jaguars quarterback has maintained his improved level of play this season, setting a roadmap for Young to hopefully follow.
"If he just continues to be the same guy every day, then that's what you need in those situations," Lawrence said. "He's a guy that I think is easy to root for, just his personality and the way he carries himself. Those are things that I appreciate."
Both Lawrence and Young also saw their first-year head coaches fired midseason, with Urban Meyer lasting 13 games in Jacksonville and Frank Reich getting the boot after 11 games in Carolina.