Bryce Young is returning as the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers.
Panthers coach Dave Canales announced that Young will start on Sunday against the Denver Broncos after Andy Dalton was found to have a sprained thumb on his throwing hand from a car crash on Tuesday in Charlotte.
Dalton did not practice on Wednesday and is considered day to day. There’s a possibility he could serve as the backup this week, depending on how quickly he heals.
“Bryce has been an absolute stud through this whole process. He has been engaged,” Canales said. “He has been involved in what we were doing and is excited about the opportunity.”
Young mentioned that Canales hasn’t revealed who will be the starting quarterback going forward if he performs well this week. The Broncos have the fifth-best pass defense in the league.
Canales told Young about the decision to start him on Tuesday night after Dalton was evaluated by the team’s medical staff, but the announcement was held until after practice.
This start gives Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, another chance to show his abilities before the trade deadline on November 5. He has a record of 2-16 as an NFL starter and was benched two games into the season due to poor performance.
Dalton won his first game as a starter but has since lost four in a row.
“I’m fired up for him to have another opportunity and just get in there and play some football,” Canales said about Young.
Young shared that it has been “challenging” to be benched and mostly watch from the sidelines during the last five games, though he has played briefly in two games since then.
“I had to lean on my faith, lean on the people in this locker room and lean on family,” Young said. “I’m super grateful where I am at. … There are things that I can’t control and some things that will go well in life and some that won’t.
But there are many things in my life that I’m really thankful for, and through both good and bad, I want to focus on that outside of football.”
Dalton shared that he and his wife had just picked up their three children from school on Tuesday when he was involved in the two-car crash. His family did not have to go to the hospital.
“All things considered, I am glad that I feel the way I do and that my family is doing well,” said Dalton, who had his right hand wrapped in an elastic bandage. “I am thankful for the Lord’s protection. It was obviously a scary situation, and you never want anything like that to happen.”
Dalton mentioned that the other driver also came out of the crash without serious injuries.
“The good thing is everybody is safe,” he said. Dalton didn’t go into detail about what happened during the crash.
On a positive note for the Panthers, veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen returned to practice on Wednesday after missing the last four games due to a hamstring injury.
