Ryan Leaf knows all too well the setbacks that come with being a high draft pick. The San Diego Chargers gave Leaf every chance to succeed after selecting him No. 2 in 1998, though the franchise had to go after three seasons.
The Leafs wish the Panthers had given Bryce Young a longer extension.
speaking with TMZ Sports on TuesdayLeaf blamed the Carolina Panthers organization for the way they handled Young — they wanted to give Young more of a chance to succeed.
“However, they screwed this thing up. I mean, the system is terrible,” Leaf said. “The organization has done nothing to help and nurture a player who has so much expectation on him. So, I put this completely at the feet of the organization.”
Leaf knows all too well how early struggles can destroy a player’s confidence. A bad attitude and inability to control his temper got the best of Leaf, who completed 45.3% of his passes with two touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his rookie season. He yelled at a reporter and offered a half-hearted apology, while alienating himself from his teammates for the rest of the year.
Anger issues developed the following season as he missed the year with shoulder surgery. Leaf was released by the Chargers after the 2000 season and finished with a 4-17 record as a starter, completing just 48.4% of his passes with 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in 25 games. He was out NFL After 2001.
Young didn’t have the anger issues that Leaf had, but the performance could have been worse. Through two games, Young has completed 55.4% of his passes for 245 yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns while being sacked six times. Young is averaging 4.4 yards per attempt and 44.1 passing yards in two starts.
Poor performance can be attributed to a poor start. Young went 8 of 10 for 22 yards with an interception in the first half and had a 39.6 rating through the opening 30 minutes. Young went 6 of 12 for 50 yards and an interception and two sacks (26.4 rating).
Will Young get another chance? Leaf doesn’t look very promising.
“No one in that locker room felt that way,” Leaf said. “It’s a tough place to be as a leader of men when you’re 22, 23 years old.”
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