Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has firmly doubled down on his quarterback hunt.
Thursday’s Fan Fest did not feature backup passer Andy Dalton, who has been dealing with a quad injury. With preseason play starting this Thursday and the 14th-year vet likely to remain sidelined for the next few weeks, Canales told reporters that the team will look to add a new arm to the mix.
He confirmed that thought on Saturday.
“Yeah, we’re definitely gonna bring a quarterback in,” he said after practice. “We’re working on that with our roster numbers. As we get a little bit banged up in camp, it’s just you have to create spots for those players. We have to put our brains together with the personnel and coaching staff to say where does that number come from to be able to add that quarterback. But we’re definitely gonna need him to come in and function in our first preseason game.”
Other than Dalton, the Panthers currently have undrafted rookie Jack Plummer behind starter Bryce Young. So Canales was then asked if he’s looking to bring in a veteran or a younger player.
“Either,” he replied. “We’re evaluating both, and it’s really just looking for somebody that we feel like can function in a pro offense. So maybe somebody with a little bit of professional experience. So he’s used to being under center, used to doing some of those things so we can really get a good look at our guys down the roster. At the end of these preseason games, we gotta be able to function and get our plays off to do that.”
Well, it may be safe to say that Dalton’s valiant performance in Wayferer’s from this morning hasn’t changed Canales’ mind . . .
You wish you were as cool as Andy Dalton throwing in Wayferer’s pic.twitter.com/3WTYoTZcoc
— Kassidy Hill (@KassidyGHill) August 3, 2024