Would the Seahawks consider trading for QB Bryce Young?

Sep 20, 2024, 4:51 PM

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers looks to pass during a 2024 game. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Seahawks appear set at quarterback with Geno Smith, but that hasn’t stopped their name from coming up in the rumor mill when it comes to acquiring signal-callers.

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Each offseason since Smith took over as the starter in 2022 has featured plenty of speculation on if Seattle will look to find an upgrade over the veteran QB via free agency or trade, or turn to the draft to pick its quarterback of the future beyond the 33-year-old Smith, who turns 34 next month and is under contract through the 2025 season.

The Seahawks acquired third-year pro Sam Howell from the Washington Commanders in a move that validated some of that speculation this past offseason. Howell was thought to be a challenger to Smith for the starting role after the deal, but it became clear rather quickly that Smith was the guy in Seattle.

So, the 24-year-old Howell appears to be waiting in the wings as a potential quarterback option post-Smith. That, however, doesn’t preclude the Seahawks from making another move at the position between now and whenever they decide to move on from Smith. And there’s an ESPN NFL insider who thinks Seattle could be in the market for a former No. 1 overall pick.

In an article published Friday highlighting 15 trade candidates who could be moved before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, senior reporter Dan Graziano mentioned Seattle as a possible destination for recently benched Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.

Graziano identified the Miami Dolphins – the Seahawks’ opponent on Sunday – as the top landing spot for Young, but also said “don’t sleep on the Jets, Rams and Seahawks if Young were available.”

Who is Bryce Young?

Carolina made Young the No. 1 overall pick 2023 after a decorated three-year career at college powerhouse Alabama.

He won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2021, throwing for program records of 4,827 yards and 47 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. His numbers dipped slightly as a junior, but he still led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff and became the first quarterback in school history to throw for 3,000 yards in two seasons.

But it’s been a much different story in the brief NFL career of the 5-foot-10 Young thus far.

He completed just 59.8% of his passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the 2-14 Panthers as a rookie last season. With Young at the helm, the Carolina offense was last in scoring, passing yards, total yards and yards per play.

The struggles continued into this season as he completed just 55.4% of his passes for 245 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions in a pair of losses, which led to Carolina coach Dave Canales benching Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.

It’s been a difficult start to Young’s career, but it should also be noted there has been a real lack of talent around him in Carolina. Not only were the Panthers a poor team upon drafting Young, they traded top receiver DJ Moore, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to the Chicago Bears to move up from No. 9 overall and select him.

Would the Seahawks actually be interested?

Stacy Rost broached the subject of the Seahawks potentially trading for Young during Four Down Territory on Friday. She can see some of the reasoning as to why Graziano would consider the Seahawks a viable destination for Young.

“I know what Dan Graziano was thinking here is a couple of things,” she said. “Number one, that John Schneider is a very aggressive (general manager). Number two, that John Schneider has made moves before to find quarterbacks trading for Sam Howell, signing Geno in free agency. He’s obviously been at pro days for several quarterbacks who ended up being drafted in the first round when Russell Wilson was still here. He is someone not afraid to make a move at quarterback.

“The third thing he’s looking at is, I’m guessing, Russell Wilson’s tenure here. The Seahawks found success with an undersized quarterback and did so for a decade.”

However, Rost isn’t buying stock in Schneider and the Seahawks acquiring Young.

“Russell Wilson was an exception to the rule, much like Drew Brees, much like Kyler Murray. There have not been quarterbacks who typically have succeeded being the size that Bryce Young is,” Rost said. “Also, I don’t know that Russell Wilson is, because he succeeded here, the mold for what John Schneider would want. … I think John Schneider takes risks as a GM. I don’t know that this is one that he would take. Also, Geno’s working out just fine for this year. I would pump the brakes on any idea of Bryce Young to Seattle.”

Listen to Four Down Territory at this link or in the audio player in this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.