Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales had himself a difficult decision to make under center following his team’s 26-3 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. Would he keep rolling with struggling second-year passer Bryce Young or see what 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton could do?
Well, he chose the latter—giving the 36-year-old another opportunity to run an NFL offense. And now, in the final season of his two-year pact with Carolina, Dalton is making the most of it.
Canales’ choice has undoubtedly proven to be the correct one. That was evident right from the jump in Carolina’s 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, when Dalton became the very first quarterback of the 2024 season to pass for both 300 yards and three touchdowns in a single game—and in his very first start, no less.
The Panthers offense displayed a semblance of a vertical passing game for the first time in years. That also allowed Canales to establish the run as a play-caller with running back Chuba Hubbard, who now has two consecutive games of at least 100 rushing yards.
Heading into this weekend’s game against the Chicago Bears, Dalton has been playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL. According to Next Gen Stats, he has recorded has the second-most yards (331) on quick throws (under 2.5 seconds). And this is translating on the game film with Dalton, who is getting to outlets quickly and providing fast answers against pressure.
Furthermore, Dalton has done a great job of manipulating defenses with his eyes and allowing deeper route concepts to come open. He has played on time and in rhythm, which is how Canales wants to run his offense.
On a grander scheme, Dalton’s early performance is an exciting instance of a quarterback letting it loose with nothing to lose. He’s in the final year of his contract and his career isn’t exactly guaranteed to continue past 2024.
And that’s dangerous.
Dalton’s vibes are even translating in losses. The Panthers may not have knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals in his second start in Week 4, but they remained competitive—a big step forward for a team that didn’t have a prayer of climbing out of the smallest holes just last season.
Although some fans will want to see Young back in the saddle at some point, the Panthers are Andy Dalton’s team until it isn’t. He is the starting quarterback, and is actually giving this team a chance to win.
Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have zero interest in how good their draft positioning for next April is at this time. Their main focus, of course, is to stack up victories and establish their culture for a franchise that desperately needs one.
So as long as Dalton keeps shooting, get used to seeing red under center in 2024.
