Tag: Andy Dalton

Panthers QB Bryce Young defends Andy Dalton with incredible comedic timing

Panthers QB Bryce Young gave Andy Dalton a well-timed shoutout from New Orleans on Friday.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young still hasn’t cracked at “Radio Row” this week.

After a few impressive interview performances with FanDuel’s Kay Adams and NBC Sports’ Dan Patrick down near the site of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Young joined Friday’s episode of The Facility.

And despite a bit of egging on from host and former wide receiver James Jones, the 23-year-old didn’t bite on a comment regarding teammate Andy Dalton. In fact, he played it cool—as he so often does . . .

Young, of course, was benched at the beginning of the 2024 campaign following a pair of nightmare outings. Dalton jumped in for the 2023 No. 1 overall pick in Week 3, and led the Panthers to their first win of the year in his first start—where he threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns.

But the 14th-year veteran didn’t do much after that. Dalton went on to pass for just 670 yards, four scores and six interceptions over the next four games—all of which ended in double-digit losses.

His season would be unexpectedly cut short before Week 8, when he injured his right thumb in a car accident. Young took over from there—amassing 2,104 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns and six picks while leading Carolina to a 4-6 mark.

Dalton, 37, will officially become a free agent in March.

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B/R names Saints the worst offseason landing spot for their own former QB

Should the Saints pursue one of their own former quarterbacks in free agency? Bleacher Report says if they call Andy Dalton, he shouldn’t answer the phone:

The New Orleans Saints quarterback situation is all of a sudden up in the air with speculation on a Derek Carr trade starting to heat up. If that happens, the Saints would likely be in the market for a new veteran to guide their younger passers on the roster.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently suggested they avoid a reunion with a former quarterback, as they were named the worst landing spot for Andy Dalton this offseason. Here is what Knox had to say about his reasoning:

If Carr remains in New Orleans, Dalton could only hope for a low-level backup contract with the Saints. If they part ways with Carr, he might get a chance to compete with Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler for the starting job. However, he’d have to do so on a bargain contract and for a new coaching staff with which he is unfamiliar. Dalton would have almost nothing to gain from a Saints reunion.

For reference, the best landing spot was with the Tennessee Titans. That is a spot that he could get a higher-than-minimum deal while also having a chance to compete given the lack of talent in that quarterback room.

Dalton should not get too picky, though, seeing as he is clearly not in the best form of his career. He started five games, played in six, for the Carolina Panthers this past season. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 989 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

If he can get a nice-sized deal for some reason elsewhere, he should absolutely take it. New Orleans might not be the worst case, though. He is familiar with the city and with a handful of veterans that will still be on the team from his last run.

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Luke Kuechly on Panthers after 2024 season: ‘Vibes are high’

Franchise great (and maybe soon-to-be Hall of Famer) Luke Kuechly is feeling pretty good about the current state of the Panthers.

Luke Kuechly seems to be vibing with the current state of the Carolina Panthers.

The franchise great hopped on Thursday’s edition of Up & Adams and discussed the direction of his old team. Kuechly told host Kay Adams that there’s plenty for the organization to be hopeful for as we head out of the 2024 season . . .

Kuechly’s biggest takeaway, of course, is the emergence of second-year quarterback Bryce Young.

After a disappointing rookie campaign and a disastrous two-game start to this one, the former No. 1 overall pick was benched for veteran Andy Dalton at the beginning of Week 3. He’d return to the starting lineup in Week 8 and proceeded to play like the University of Alabama star the Panthers drafted in 2023—finishing out the season completing 197 of his 319 passing attempts (61.8 percent) for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Panthers to a respectable 4-6 record.

The cherry on top for Young was his history-making performance in the victorious regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons. Young, in the 44-38 win, became the first Panthers quarterback to ever record three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game.

Hopefully for Young and the Panthers, Kuechly will have some more history to talk about in 2025.

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Panthers QB Bryce Young reflects on his early-season benching

Panthers QB Bryce Young looks back on his early-season benching: “I’m a big believer that everything happens for you.”

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young never lost the faith.

Sunday’s 44-38 win over the Atlanta Falcons would’ve felt like a fever dream a few short months ago, when the 2023 No. 1 overall pick was shockingly benched just two weeks into his second NFL season. The 23-year-old recorded a career-high five touchdowns in the victorious Week 18 finale, capping off what has been an emergent run in finishing 2024.

Young, on Monday, was asked to reflect about his benching and the impact it had on his revival.

“I’m a big believer that everything happens for you, especially big-picture stuff,” he replied. “I’m a believer that God handles all that, and God doesn’t make mistakes. Just because something is difficult, whether you agree with it or not, or you enjoy it or not—I wanna do everything I can to make the choice, to make it beneficial, make it something I can grow from.”

In the two games before he was sat for 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton, Young completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 245 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions over a pair of blowout losses. In the 10 games after returning to the starting lineup in Week 8, he threw for a 61.8-percent completion rate, 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Panthers to a 4-6 record.

That work and the relatively respectable mark helped Young earn a strong endorsement from head coach Dave Canales following yesterday’s triumph. Canales, who had taken the quarterback decision on a weekly basis for much of the year, told reporters that Young is indeed their “guy” heading into 2025.

Young then talked about being entrusted with that stamp of approval.

“I’m super grateful,” he stated. “Always just wanted to instill belief in the team. As a leader, just learning in this league, the power of what that brings. Power of belief, power of one and to play for something, be able to rally people. That was, again, definitely a learning process. And anything that I can do, and just building that and instilling that, is something I take pride in.”

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Carolina Panthers 2025 free agents

With the 2024 regular season now over, let’s take a look at the Panthers’ upcoming free agents:

The Carolina Panthers wrapped up their 2024 campaign with a 48-38 win, walking off the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 18.

But which players might have taken their final snap with the Panthers on Sunday?

As we enter Carolina’s offseason, here are the team’s 2025 free agents:

  • QB Andy Dalton
  • RB Raheem Blackshear (RFA)
  • RB Mike Boone
  • RB Velus Jones Jr. (RFA)
  • WR David Moore
  • WR Deven Thompkins
  • WR Dan Chisena (RFA)
  • TE Tommy Tremble
  • TE Ian Thomas
  • TE Feleipe Franks (RFA)
  • TE Stephen Sullivan
  • OL Brady Christensen
  • OL Cade Mays (RFA)
  • C Austin Corbett
  • DL LaBryan Ray (ERFA)
  • DL DeShawn Williams
  • DL Raequan Williams (ERFA)
  • OLB Cam Gill
  • ILB Shaq Thompson
  • ILB Chandler Wooten (RFA)
  • CB Mike Jackson
  • CB Caleb Farley
  • CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
  • S Xavier Woods
  • S Jordan Fuller
  • S Sam Franklin Jr.
  • S Nick Scott
  • K Eddy Piñeiro
  • P Johnny Hekker
  • LS JJ Jansen

*RFA = Restricted free agent
*ERFA = Exclusive rights free agent

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Panthers QB Bryce Young talks about his career day from Week 18 win

A confident Bryce Young talked about his five-touchdown performance from the Panthers’ 44-38 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

The story of Bryce Young’s second NFL campaign has been all about confidence. And after starting 2024 with very little of it, the 23-year-old quarterback just ended the season with more than we’ve ever seen out of him.

Young led his Carolina Panthers to a 44-38 overtime win over the host Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon. He completed 25 of his 34 attempts for 251 yards and three touchdowns and added 24 more yards and two more scores on the ground.

The second of Young’s three touchdown throws ended up in the hands of tight end Tommy Tremble, who reeled in a 12-yard pass on a fourth-and-1 early in the second half. But before the ball even hit those hands, Young had the confidence in Tremble (and in himself) to do this . . .

Young was asked about the Steph Curry-esque celebration after the victory.

“It was definitely not planned,” he replied. “It was just confidence in Tommy. I knew he was open. So when I threw it, I knew he was gonna catch it.”

Head coach Dave Canales, following a disastrous two-game start to the season, decided to bench Young in favor of Andy Dalton. But after a car accident caused a sprained thumb for the 14th-year veteran, Young got his second chance in Week 8—and he never gave it away.

Dating back to his return to the starting lineup, Young has completed 61.8 percent of his throws for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He paced the Panthers to a relatively respectable 4-6 mark over those 10 outings, which included near-upsets of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Young then talked about being able to finish this emergent season on a high note.

“Just super blessed,” he stated. “All glory goes to God. I’m super grateful to do it with this team. Everyone was so resilient today. Everyone understood we were playing for ourselves.

“Coach talked about finish all week. This was such a great opportunity for us as a team to finish, to go in and just prove what we could do.”

Well, it seems as though Young has certainly proved what he himself can do.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales explains why QB Jack Plummer was added to the active roster

Why did the Panthers sign rookie QB Jack Plummer to the active roster last week? HC Dave Canales explained why on Wednesday.

The Carolina Panthers made a somewhat intriguing move prior to this past weekend’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and head coach Dave Canales explained the rationale behind it on Wednesday.

On Saturday, the team signed quarterback Jack Plummer, along with veteran running back Mike Boone, from their practice squad to the active roster. The undrafted rookie, however, did not go on to play Sunday—even in what turned out to be a 48-14 loss to the host Bucs.

So, will Plummer get to see the field in this week’s regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons? You never know!

“Yeah, we had an opportunity. We had a roster spot,” head coach Dave Canales said of the decision this afternoon. “And for Jack, he’s been working so hard. I thought, ‘Shoot, let’s get him up.’

“Like, a lot of teams have three quarterbacks, and we’ve chosen not to to have people available in other positions. But the opportunity presented itself. And so, I was like, ‘Shoot, let’s get him up there.’ You never know.”

Canales stated on Monday that he plans on playing quarterback Bryce Young, as well as the rest of the team’s available starters, in Week 18. Young, for the second week in a row, will be backed on the depth chart by 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton and the 25-year-old Plummer.

Adding Plummer to the active roster also prevents the possibility of him being poached. Plummer now cannot be signed off Carolina’s practice squad by any of the NFL’s other 31 teams.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales: ‘Bryce Young is gonna finish the season for us’

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked if he’ll give Andy Dalton another look before the end of the season, and it doesn’t seem that way.

With only three games to go here in the 2024 season, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has finally put the weekly quarterback conundrum to bed.

Last Sunday’s disappointing defeat to the Dallas Cowboys wasn’t Bryce Young’s finest hour under center. The second-year passer committed a career-high four turnovers in the 30-14 loss, tossing two interceptions and losing a pair of fumbles in his first real hiccup since returning to the starting lineup.

But even though Young couldn’t find a handle on the pigskin that day, Canales told reporters this afternoon that the 23-year-old still handled the situation well.

“I mean, this was a career-high,” he said after practice. “I think for Bryce, watching him in-game was what was so impressive. To see him just continue to stay in there, to have his footwork exactly where he needed to be, to throw to No. 1 in progression and really still see the field. I could not go past Monday without letting him know that.

“I’ve been around football for 15 years and to see where games like that can really pile up on a guy and to watch him handle and to be composed and to talk with his teammates and keep working through the issues—I thought was so impressive and I wanted to make sure he knew that, that that was great and that’s exactly what it looks like to play quarterback.”

Week 15 marked Young’s seventh game since reclaiming the starting job back from veteran Andy Dalton. He’s completed 60.6 of his passes for 1,492 yards (213.1 per game), eight touchdowns and six interceptions over those outings.

Canales, who has taken the starting quarterback decision on a week-by-week basis since the switch, was then asked if he’d like to see Dalton on the field again before the end of the campaign.

“Bryce is gonna finish the season for us,” he replied.

The Panthers are hosting the Arizona Cardinals for their final home game here in Week 16 and will close up with visits to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons in Weeks 17 and 18.

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Would the Panthers have ever started Bryce Young again if Andy Dalton didn’t get injured in a car accident?

Would Bryce Young have ever gotten his second chance in 2024 if not for Andy Dalton’s car accident? Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked that on Monday.

The future between quarterback Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers has never appeared brighter than it does at this very moment. And to think, they wouldn’t be in this position if not for a traffic accident.

Five days before Carolina’s Week 8 matchup with the Denver Broncos, then-starting quarterback Andy Dalton and his family were involved in a minor car accident in Charlotte. Luckily, no one was seriously injured—but the 14th-year veteran did come away from the collision with a sprained right thumb.

That setback unexpectedly gave way to Young, who had been benched for Dalton after a disappointing first two games of the campaign. Young, in a pair of blowout losses in Weeks 1 and 2, passed for just 245 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions.

To that point, the 23-year-old was merely considered a temporary solution—as Dalton was likely in line to regain the job once healthy. Plus, there were rumblings that the organization was pretty much done with Young.

But, uh, something changed.

Young took the opening and never looked back, giving a solid account of himself against Denver that weekend and following that up with a triumphant performance over the New Orleans Saints in Week 9. And in the six games since his reentry, he’s looked every bit of the No. 1 overall pick that was drafted in 2023.

So, what if Dalton didn’t get injured? Would the Panthers have eventually wanted to get at least another look at Young before the 2024 season was over?

Head coach Dave Canales, who was largely non-committal to Young throughout much of the last few months, was asked exactly that on Monday.

“Yeah, it would’ve been really interesting,” Canales replied to ESPN’s David Newton. “And fortunately, fortunately, we got the opportunity, Bryce got the opportunity that he did. And on the other side of it, I was pulling for Andy at the time, too—who was building some weeks. He had a couple of rough weeks and was like, ‘Okay, here we go. Let’s get this thing back on track.’

“It’s two stories. And that’s life. Bryce made the most of his opportunities and here we are. Just, with the weekly growth and took another step in a positive direction against a really good team.”

That really good team was the Philadelphia Eagles, who narrowly avoided the biggest upset of the year in Week 14 to move to 11-2. Young passed for 191 yards, a touchdown and an interception against what was the No. 1-ranked defense coming into the weekend.

While those numbers didn’t translate into a win for the Panthers, Young stacked another encouraging outing on top of what’s been one of the best stories of the season.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked if Bryce Young will be team’s starting QB moving forward

Panthers HC Dave Canales may have just given his strongest endorsement of Bryce Young since the QB’s return to the starting lineup.

Bryce Young is doing enough to remain the starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers.

Head coach Dave Canales, who has been largely (and perhaps notoriously) non-committal about the quarterback position for much of the season, made some relatively early headway this past Sunday. In a bit of a departure from the norm, he named Young as the Week 13 starter right after the team’s Week 12 outing against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But did he make even more headway with Young on Wednesday?

Canales was asked if the 23-year-old passer will keep the job moving forward.

“As he continues to show us just the progress that we’re looking for as he continues to earn these moments, then yeah, he’ll be in there,” he replied. “And that’s what I’ve been most excited about is that there’s a weekly growth that’s happening.

“So, again, we’re just taking it a week at a time. I know that’s been my language, but he’s really taking the responsibility of it and pushing us that way. And the bottomline is, he’s giving us a chance to win in the weeks he’s been playing.”

Young, who was benched following a poor two-game start to the campaign, returned to the starting lineup in place of an injured Andy Dalton in Week 8.

In his four starts since, he’s completed 61.0 percent of his passes for 784 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the Panthers to a pair of wins.

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