The Panthers continued to disappoint Sunday, failing to score a touchdown in their 26-3 loss to the Chargers at home. Unfortunately for Carolina, second-year quarterback Bryce Young wasn't a huge help for the second week in a row.
Less than 24 hours after the defeat to Los Angeles, Tom Pelissero reported the Panthers are benching the former No. 1 overall pick for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton beginning this week.
Sources: The #Panthers are benching former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and starting veteran Andy Dalton beginning this week.
Coach Dave Canales has repeatedly said “Bryce is our quarterback.” But with the season quickly slipping away, Canales decided to make a change. pic.twitter.com/jTYawQCi2C
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 16, 2024
This comes after several reports out of Carolina that reassured Young's position under center was safe. Here's everything to know about why Young got benched for Dalton after his dismal performance in Week 2.
MORE: Panthers QB depth chart
Why did Panthers bench Bryce Young?
In contrast to what many hoped would be a breakout season for Young in his second year at the helm out of Alabama, the quarterback has performed below average his first two games of the season.
So far, in contests against the Saints and Chargers, Young has combined for only 245 passing yards—notching just 84 against Los Angeles—with a 55% completion rate, including three interceptions, no touchdowns and six sacks. He hasn't excelled on the ground either, only accumulating 18 yards on five carries so far, scoring one touchdown against New Orleans.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke to reporters Monday after the news broke, saying the team is "focused on this week" and is preparing Dalton to face Las Vegas. When asked whether Panthers owner David Tepper had a role in the decision to bench Young, the coach refused to comment. However, Canales did elaborate on why he came to the eventual conclusion that gave Dalton the reigns.
"This is something, after I watched the film, I looked at it, had a thought, started working on talking to the guys that we make decisions with—there's certainly a lot of parties involved there," he said. "Ultimately this comes on me and my number one responsibility is to help the Panthers win, and so this move I believe puts us in the best chance to do that."
Since the start of last season, Young only has two wins as the Panthers starter. However, despite later benching the quarterback, Canales was steadfast in his response to a reporter who asked about next week's starter after Sunday's loss.
"Bryce is our quarterback," he said.
Apparently something changed in the 22 hours between his postgame press conference and Monday's announcement, and Canales determined time was up for the 23-year-old, and Dalton is next in line.
Panthers QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Andy Dalton |
| 2 | Bryce Young |
MORE: What the Panthers gave up to get Bryce Young in the NFL Draft
How old is Andy Dalton?
Dalton was born on October 29, 1987, in Katy, Texas. He's 36-years-old and in his 14th NFL season with his fourth different team in five years. Prior to signing with Carolina in March 2023, Dalton had season-long stints with the Saints and Bears following nine years with the Bengals.
A starter for Cincinnati during his time there, Dalton took the team to the postseason five straight years from 2011 to 2015 despite missing the 2015 playoffs with a season-ending thumb injury. Despite this, the quarterback went 0-4 in his postseason appearances and never made it past the wild-card round.
Bryce Young contract
In July 2023, Young signed a four-year rookie deal with the Panthers worth $37.955 million. The entire sum is guaranteed and includes a signing bonus of over $24.6 million.
MORE: Las Vegas Raiders won't face Bryce Young in Week 3 against Panthers
Bryce Young height and weight
At just 5-10, Young is tied with Arizona's Kyler Murray for shortest quarterback in the NFL. He is also slightly lighter than the average NFL quarterback which is reported to be around 225 pounds.
Bryce Young stats
Here's a look at Young's passing stats through his brief career in the NFL so far.
| Year | Games | Comp. % | Yards | TDs | INTs | AVG | Rating |
| 2023 | 16 | 59.8% | 2,877 | 11 | 10 | 5.5 | 73.7 |
| 2024 | 2 | 55.4% | 245 | 0 | 3 | 7.9 | 44.1 |
MORE: Bryce Young disappoints with dud in ugly loss to Saints
Andy Dalton stats
Here's a look at Dalton's passing stats in his last three years in which he started 11 games or more.
| Year | Team | Games | Comp. % | Yards | TDs | INTs | AVG | Rating |
| 2019 | Bengals | 13 | 59.5% | 3,494 | 16 | 14 | 6.6 | 78.3 |
| 2020 | Cowboys | 11 | 64.9% | 2,169 | 14 | 8 | 6.5 | 87.3 |
| 2022 | Saints | 14 | 66.7% | 2,871 | 18 | 9 | 7.6 | 95.2 |
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