CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A day after another abysmal performance in a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Bryce Young has been benched by the Carolina Panthers in favor of Andy Dalton.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the change Monday on his X account, less than 24 hours after Carolina head coach Dave Canales told reporters in his post-game press conference that "Bryce is our quarterback."
Young was 18-of-26 for a career-low 84 yards and an interception against Los Angeles. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for less than 100 yards while completing at least 18 passes.
"After the game yesterday I went home and watched film, had some conversations with coaches and Dan (Morgan) and Brandt (Tillis) ..." Canales said Monday in a press conference. "I had to gather a lot of information through this morning and then we made the decision. This is the best decision for our team going forward."
For the season, Young had completed 55.4% of his passes for 245 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He ranks 32nd of 33 qualified quarterbacks in offensive rating, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Panthers gave up a lot to get Young at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft, sending the Bears receiver D.J. Moore and three first-round picks to come up and select the Alabama quarterback. One of those first-rounders turned into No. 1 overall in the 2024 draft, which Chicago used to select quarterback Caleb Williams.
As a starter, Young has a career record of 2-16. Dalton, on the other hand, has a career record of 83-78-2.
A second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the same one where Carolina landed Cam Newton at No. 1 overall, Dalton spent the first part of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Before joining the Panthers, he played on three teams — Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans — over a three-year span.
Dalton's only start in 2023 saw him throw for 361 yards and two touchdowns against zero interceptions in a loss to the Seahawks.
Carolina continues the 2024 season on the road in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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