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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dave Canales’ decision to bench Bryce Young raises serious questions about the 2023 No. 1 overall pick’s future with the Carolina Panthers.
Canales made the move on Monday, less than 24 hours after declaring in his postgame press conference that Young would remain the team’s starter despite another awful performance in a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Canales said he changed his mind after watching video and consulting with the front office on Sunday night, concluding that veteran Andy Dalton would give the Panthers the best chance to win in Week 3 in Las Vegas.
Everything indicates that this is a permanent move and not just a two or three week break that gives Young the opportunity to regroup.
It is unclear what influence owner David Tepper had on the decision and whether he is willing to give up Young, just 17 months after he gave up CJ Stroud, who went to the Houston Texans as the No. 2 pick.
But Canales is right.
Dalton is the more polished quarterback and probably actually gives Carolina a better chance to win.
The 36-year-old Dalton is not a long-term solution. But he can’t be worse than Young.
The Panthers were beaten 73-13 and there were no real signs that things would change.
The home crowd, increasingly frustrated after not seeing a playoff game since 2017, began booing Young and the offense in the first half and didn’t stop. Veteran wide receivers Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson both looked frustrated on the sidelines and things began to boil over. Had Canales waited any longer, he might have lost the team just two games into his tenure.
So the big question is: What happens next if Canales, management or Tepper have lost all confidence in Young?
It looks like the Panthers will once again be looking to select in the top five in the next NFL Draft, and a quarterback could play a role. Some of the quarterbacks that could be available include Georgia’s Carson Beck, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Miami’s Cam Ward or Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart.
The rest of the season will show what happens.
But the trades aren’t good news for Young or the Panthers, who gave up four draft picks – including the pick that turned out to be No. 1 this year – and moved wide receiver DJ Moore up eight spots to get him.
The transfer is a stain on the franchise and could go down as one of the worst in NFL history.
Right now, there are more questions than answers for a team that hasn’t had stability at the quarterback position in nearly a decade.
What works
Things aren’t going particularly well for the Panthers, but Raheem Blackshear has given the team a boost in the return game, averaging 27 yards per kickoff return and 13 yards per punt return against the Chargers.
What needs help
The Panthers have attempted few passes down low with Young at quarterback. Almost all of his throws have been short and over the middle or checkdowns to a receiver, and he seems to play scared. His longest pass on Sunday was 12 yards. Carolina hasn’t even managed to test opposing defenses and give them anything in terms of a deep threat. Twelve of Young’s 18 passes on Sunday were to running backs or tight ends.
Stock up
Dalton, who starts in Week 3. He lost his only start for the Panthers last season because of an injured Young, but it was Carolina’s best offensive performance of the season. Dalton completed 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-27 loss at Seattle.
Inventory is decreasing
Johnson. He was brought in as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, but through two games he’s caught just five passes for 34 yards. Much of that is a byproduct of Young’s failures. Johnson’s stats will likely improve with Dalton throwing to him.
They said it
“From the moment I got here, I wanted to do whatever I could to help Bryce and this team. And so I gave my input on certain things, I was able to see them from my perspective and kind of share that. But going forward, it’s like I get another opportunity to impact the game.” – Dalton on the team’s problems and replacing Young.
Injuries
DT Shy Tuttle injured his foot in Sunday’s loss.
Key figures
2 of 22 – The Panthers’ third-down improvement rate through two games.
Next Steps
The Panthers play in Las Vegas on Sunday (1:1).
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