The Carolina Panthers still aren’t ready to reboot quarterback Bryce Young.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters this afternoon, a day after his team may have reached their newest low in a 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders. The defeat, which Canales described as “humbling,” showcased the struggles of current starting quarterback Andy Dalton once again—as he threw for just 93 yards and a pair of interceptions.
Canales, as he did following the game yesterday, reaffirmed that Dalton will get the nod for the Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos. But will he look to put Young back under center at some point in 2024?
“Right now, we’re focused on the Broncos,” Canales replied. “Andy’s playing this week and that’s really where our focus is at. And all those other conversations are all hypothetical conversations that definitely Dan [Morgan], Brandt [Tilis], I know that we have to have. But right now, we’re focused on playing the Broncos and focused on getting Andy to take another step in terms of getting us back to good football.”
The Panthers haven’t played a ton of good football with Dalton of late. Carolina has lost their last four games, a stretch that has seen the 14th-year veteran average just 167.5 passing yards per game with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
Young, the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, was benched in favor of Dalton after two anemic outings of his own. The 23-year-old threw for a combined 245 yards and three picks while leading the Panthers to just 13 points in a pair of losses.
Canales was then asked if the team will consider trading Young.
“Again, hypotheticals,” he said. “This is stuff that Dan and Brandt will be talking through, all those different processes. And right now, my focus is to try to get us back to playing really good football.”
With the trade deadline two weeks away, Dalton, Young and the Panthers currently sit at 1-6.
