Sources – Teams interested in trading Bryce Young to the Panthers

Multiple teams have expressed interest in trading for quarterback Bryce Young, despite coach Dave Canales saying the Carolina Panthers have no plans to trade the former No. 1 overall pick, league sources told ESPN.

The Panthers have been contacted by some teams, league sources said, while other teams have considered trading Young within their own organizations.

While the Panthers have said they have no plans to trade Young at this time, sources within the league believe it’s only a matter of time before Carolina actually finalizes a deal involving the second-year quarterback — with the most likely timing coming sometime this offseason.

For now, the Panthers would still like Young to back up new starter Andy Dalton and believe there’s a chance they could turn to Young again later this season depending on how the coming weeks play out, sources said.

Young, who was benched Monday in favor of Dalton, has struggled and doesn’t look like a No. 1 overall quarterback, but he’s still expected to bring some trade value to Carolina — though not nearly what the Panthers traded to the Bears last year to move up to No. 1 to draft him.

In 2019, the Cardinals traded 2018 first-round draft pick Josh Rosen to the Dolphins for a second-round pick, the 62nd overall selection, which Arizona used on receiver Andy Isabella.

Last offseason, three former first-round quarterbacks were traded. The Jets traded former second-round pick Zach Wilson, along with a seventh-round pick, to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick. The Bears traded former first-round pick Justin Fields to the Steelers for a sixth-round pick that could become a fourth-round pick depending on playing time. The Patriots also traded former first-round pick Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick.

The Panthers are 2-16 with Young as the starter, which is the worst record through 18 games of any quarterback selected with the first overall pick in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Research. The Heisman Trophy winner has a 9.1 QBR so far this season, which is one of the worst in league history for consecutive games.

Young said Thursday he was surprised to be benched but acknowledged there was “a long list of things I would have liked to improve on and I’ll continue to work, grow, improve and be better.”

When asked Wednesday if the Panthers would consider trading Young, Canales didn’t hold back in his answer, saying a trade was “not something we’re really considering.”

Young’s teammates came to the defense of the struggling quarterback, with running back Miles Sanders saying “it’s definitely not over” for the former Alabama star. Veteran receiver Adam Thielen added that he was “very excited for (Young’s) future.”

“Watching him practice today, the throws he made, his confidence … you know he can do it at a high level,” Thielen said. “Sometimes it’s not so bad to step back and take a breath.”

Dalton, 36, will start Sunday when the Panthers (0-2) visit the Las Vegas Raiders.

ESPN’s David Newton contributed to this report.