When the Carolina Panthers benched last year’s top overall pick, quarterback Bryce Young, after just two games, many thought that would essentially be the end as his tenure with the team. He was replaced by Andy Dalton, but the unlikeliest of circumstances has Young back under center for Carolina, as he will start in Week 8 against the Denver Broncos.
“We’re gonna go with Bryce, and he’s excited about it. He’s been an absolute stud through this whole process. He’s been engaged and involved in what we’re doing, so he’s excited about this opportunity, and I’m fired up for him just to have another opportunity to get in there and play some football.”
Dalton sprained his throwing hand in the accident that occurred roughly seven miles from the Panthers’ stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The 36-year-old did not practice on Wednesday, meaning Young took all of the first-team reps.
Dalton and Young are the only two quarterbacks on the Panthers’ active roster, though they do have undrafted rookie Jack Plummer on the practice squad. If Dalton is unable to be active on game day and serve as the No. 2 quarterback, then Plummer would get elevated to the active roster.
After a record-setting career at the University of Alabama that resulted in a Heisman trophy and No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Young has looked nothing like someone who notched those achievements. As a rookie, he had the NFL’s lowest passer rating and averaged the fewest yards per attempt, while having the second-worst completion percentage and being sacked the second-most times.
His start to his second season was even worse, as his statistics decreased across the board. He had zero touchdowns and three interceptions, and Carolina averaged just 6.5 points across his two starts before Canales benched him. Since then, Young has received just mop-up duty in a pair of games, throwing only nine passes as Dalton’s backup.
Dalton provided an initial jolt as Carolina won his first game as a starter, 36–22, over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. Dalton threw three touchdowns in the game, which is as many as Young had thrown over his previous 11 starts combined. That remains Carolina’s only victory over its last 10 games, and the 36 points scored is the most the Panthers have scored since Week 16 of the 2022 season, when Young was still at Alabama.
However, Dalton’s production has significantly declined since then, and he’s looked every bit like a journeyman quarterback who is on his fifth team in sixth years. The former Cincinnati Bengal had four touchdown passes versus six interceptions in the ensuing four games, all of which Carolina lost by double-digits. He bottomed out in his last start on Sunday against the Washington Commanders as Dalton’s fourth pass in the game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown. He’d throw another pick before the first quarter ended as the Panthers’ only scoring drive of the game came on the penultimate possession, when they were trailing 37–0.
However, Young couldn’t have picked a much worse opponent to return to the starting lineup against, as Denver has one of the league’s best defenses. It ranks third in terms of both points allowed and yards allowed, in addition to having the league’s fifth-best passing defense. Additionally, the Broncos allow the fewest yards per completion, have the second-most sacks, and have generated the most quarterback hits in the NFL.
Young spoke about getting another opportunity and says he’s not looking at the big picture or what’s down the road, instead just focusing on his day-to-day responsibilities, which now include preparing for the Broncos.
