Anything can happen. You are just one second or one play away from starting. An off-field incident involving signal caller Andy Dalton will lead to a temporary switch at the quarterback position for the Panthers.
Bryce Young will start for the Carolina Panthers in their Week 8 game on Sunday against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos after Dalton was involved in a car crash on Tuesday that resulted in a sprained right thumb, head coach Dave Canales announced on Wednesday.
Dalton did not hit the practice field with his teammates on Wednesday, and despite not requiring emergency transport to a hospital from the scene of Tuesday’s crash, the injury Dalton suffered is serious enough to prevent him from starting on Sunday.
Canales told the assembled media that they will take things day by day and evaluate Dalton throughout the week before determining if he can serve as the backup on Sunday.
Young told reporters on Wednesday that he is just taking things a step at a time and not getting swept up in what a return to the gridiron could mean for his future going forward.
“It’s obviously difficult,” Young said of the aftermath of his benching. “I think regardless of walk of life you can relate to this. Trying to do the right things and be consistent in what you do. … Definitely there were struggles. I’m not the only person going through something. I’m not the only person struggling. … I just have to continue to be consistent.”
Embed from Getty ImagesYoung kicked off the 2024 campaign as Carolina’s starter, but was benched in Week 3 after two subpar outings.
First-year coach Canales made the controversial decision to insert the 14-year veteran into the lineup as Young’s replacement and saw immediate benefits, as Dalton threw for a cool 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on September 22.
That unlikely win remains the Panthers’ only victory of 2024. Dalton has struggled mightily since then and reached a rock-bottom last weekend, completing 11 of 16 passes for only 93 yards and two picks in a 40-7 blowout loss to the Washington Commanders that was ugly and shameful enough to prompt reporters to ask Canales if he would go back to the former first-overall pick of the 2023 draft. Canales stuck to his guns in his commitment to Dalton, saying Carolina planned to continue with him as their starter.
Canales told reporters on Wednesday that he is excited for Young to have another chance as QB1 and praised the 2023 No. 1 pick for how he has handled himself since his demotion.
“He’s excited about it,” Canales said. “He’s been an absolute stud through this whole process. He’s been engaged and involved in what we’re doing, and so he’s excited about this opportunity. I’m fired up for him to have another opportunity to get in there and play some football.”
