Panthers QB Depth Chart: Bryce Young Benched, Andy Dalton To Start

The Carolina Panthers are making a significant change at quarterback. Former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has been benched. See who will replace Young below.

Bryce Young Benched

The Panthers are benching Young and starting veteran Andy Dalton in his place for Carolina’s Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he decided to change it up quarterback after watching the film of Carolina’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Certainly a lot of parties involved there, and ultimately this comes on me,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters about benching Young on Monday via Joe Person. “My No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win, and so this move puts us in the best chance to do that.”

Canales was hired largely due to his history of resurrecting quarterbacks’s careers, including Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. However, Young has not lived up to the billing as the first overall pick.

Since becoming the starter last season, Young is 2-16 with 3,122 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions with a 59.3 completion percentage.

Young’s QBR is 8.9 through two games, the worst in the NFL by a wide margin. Caleb Williams is the next closest at 23.9. The Panthers have been outscored by their two opponents 73-13.

The decision to bench Young could be the beginning of the end for the former Heisman Trophy winner’s tenure in Carolina. The Panthers mortgaged their future to draft Young, trading wide D.J. Moore and multiple draft picks, including a first-round pick that turned into Caleb Williams.

Andy Dalton Named Panthers’ Starting Quarterback

With Young going to the bench, Dalton, 34, becomes the starting quarterback for at least one week.

The former second-round pick spent his nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, guiding the team to five playoff appearances and being named to three Pro Bowl rosters. Dalton then bounced around the league, doing season-long stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints before signing with the Panthers in 2023.

Last season, Dalton started one game for Carolina— a Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Dalton played surprisingly well, completing 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-27 loss.

The Panthers travel to Las Vegas to play the Raiders on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.