Andy Dalton knows his assignment.
The 13th-year veteran is seemingly in line to take the Week 3 spot start for the Carolina Panthers and rookie Bryce Young, who will be missing practice on Thursday with an ankle injury. And before taking his place on the field, Dalton took it at the lectern—where he was asked if this week is more fun for him.
“For me? Obviously. Absolutely. Absolutely,” he replied with a laugh. “It’s always nice because . . . I’ve had a certain way of operating, like, my whole career. And I think when you go from starting to being the backup, that’s one of the things that you miss.
“Scout team’s one thing. You’re lookin’ at a card and you’re runnin’ the other team’s offense. But when you get a chance to kinda take ownership of what you’re doing and to know how you want it to look and how you want it to feel and you actually get to execute it, that’s what makes football fun.”
Dalton signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Panthers this spring. That pact came with the impression that the 35-year-old would be backing up whichever rookie passer the team eventually drafted.
Nonetheless, it may be time for Dalton to make an impression on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks . . . but not too much of one.
“My goal is to win,” he later added. “Especially here—this is Bryce’s thing. I’m not here to make this a competition, make this anything. I’m here to help the team.”
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