Albeit by some unforeseen circumstances, Bryce Young’s second act with the Carolina Panthers is set to begin. But how long will it last?
On Wednesday, head coach Dave Canales announced that Young will get the starting nod under center in place of an injured Andy Dalton. Dalton, who was involved in a minor car accident on Tuesday, did not participate in this afternoon’s practice session due to a sprained thumb on his throwing hand.
Canales would be asked if he believes Young has built on his game since he was benched earlier this season.
“All I can tell is he’s been engaged the whole time,” replied Canales, who also said Young has been a “stud” throughout the five-game process. “We had great football conversations. During the week, fine-tuning our game plans. On Sunday, on the sideline, talking through things. So he’s been engaged and a part of that whole thing.
“So, for me, it’s great for him that he approached it with such class and integrity, this hard situation. And now, he gets to get back out there and play some football.”
Young wasn’t playing good football through the first two weeks of the campaign, passing for 250 yards and three interceptions while leading the Panthers to just 13 points in a pair of losses. His underwhelming performance resulted in Canales handing over the starting job to Dalton in Week 3.
The first start back shouldn’t be an easy for Young, who is set to face a hot Denver Broncos defense. If he does, however, light the ponies up, can Bryce reclaim his job?
Canales said the following about that very inquiry:
“We’re gonna evaluate Andy’s thumb and we’ll go week to week with our decision. Dan [Morgan], Brandt [Tilis] and I will talk together about the right thing to do for the team.”
