Coach Dave Canales isn’t saying yet whether Bryce Young will continue as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, even after leading Carolina on a late touchdown drive to beat the New Orleans Saints 23-22 on Sunday.
On Monday, Canales mentioned that he and his staff are still “gathering information” on whether Young or 37-year-old veteran Andy Dalton should start in Munich, Germany, against the New York Giants in Week 10.
He said they would announce their decision later in the week.
Canales praised Young after the game, saying he “came up big in some critical moments and gave us an opportunity a couple of times. Just proud of the step that he took again.”
However, Canales also pointed out that there are many factors they need to consider before making a choice.
One of those factors is how benching Young for a second time this season might affect his confidence, especially after he had his best game of the year.
Young completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards, with one touchdown and one interception — the interception was caused when a well-thrown ball was ripped out of the receiver’s hands. He also led three touchdown drives.
After the game, Young left the stadium to have dinner with his family feeling good about his performance and his third NFL win against 17 losses.
Canales wouldn’t say whether Dalton, who was the No. 2 QB against the Saints, has fully recovered from his right thumb sprain that happened two weeks ago. “I don’t want to give any tips or tells” to the Giants, Canales said.
Earlier this season, Canales benched Young, explaining that Dalton gave the team the best chance to win. When asked if that reasoning was still clear-cut after Young’s performance on Sunday, Canales said, “We are going to look at all of the stuff. We’ll watch the film, and make the best decision.”
