Report: Panthers bench Bryce Young for Andy Dalton

After Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, head coach Dave Canales was asked if he would bench quarterback Bryce Young and play Andy Dalton. He replied, “Bryce is our quarterback.”

Canales has apparently changed his mind.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, the Panthers are benching Young to start Dalton, beginning with this week’s game against the Raiders.

Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, has appeared overmatched in his first two starts of the season, completing just 55.4 percent of his throws for 245 yards with three interceptions. His passer rating is 44.1 and he’s averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt.

Last season, Young finished 2-14 as a starter, completing 59.8 percent of his throws for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Coincidentally, Young also didn’t play in last year’s Week 3 game, as Dalton made his only start of 2023 against the Seahawks.

Dalton, 36, completed 58.6 percent of his throws for 361 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in three appearances for the Panthers last year. In 2022, Dalton finished with a 66.7 percent completion percentage, throwing for 2,871 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Saints.

Dalton has been a regular for the Bengals for many years and has a record of 83-78-2.