In what was a resurgent outing for their 2024 season, the Carolina Panthers pulled off a stunning upset of the Las Vegas Raiders this past Sunday. The 36-22 triumph was headlined by veteran Andy Dalton, who tossed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in his very first start of the campaign.
Just one week ago, fans were already drowned in the team’s seemingly certain demise. But now, at least there’s a bit of excitement in the air.
So as we move ahead into the Week 4 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with some optimism, let’s open up this week’s mailbag and answer your inquiries . . .
Adam Thielen’s injury
How serious is Adam Thielen’s injury and what is his return status? – Joy O.
Who takes Adam Thielen’s targets? – Johnny
Thielen went down a hero before the half on Sunday, as he injured his hamstring while reeling in a spectacular 31-yard touchdown pass from Dalton. He did not return to the game and would later be placed on injured reserve, knocking him out for at least the next four weeks.
Head coach Dave Canales said Thielen’s injury does not require surgery, a sigh of relief for an offense that uses him as a security blanket. But the reliable veteran will now miss the tilts against Cincinnati, the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders.
Although they’ll have to manage without Thielen for this intriguing stretch, the coaching staff seems confident in the rest of the wideout room. Outside of their top target in Diontae Johnson, expect Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette to see more playing time. It’s unclear who will take Thielen’s targets in the slot, but Mingo seems like a plausible candidate with Legette expected to man plenty of snaps at the Z receiver spot.
The team’s depth at the position will feature David Moore and undrafted free agent Jalen Coker, a draft community darling in the offseason. There is a chance all five receivers will see the field this Sunday.
Andy Dalton for the long haul?
We get the “dub,” now the question is how long do we ride with Andy Dalton? Everyone saw the whole team’s attitude change. You could feel the win coming. – Allan J.
The Panthers were in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons after their decision to bench second-year quarterback Bryce Young. The noise has lessened a good amount since Sunday after the win and a lot of the credit will go to Dalton, who was amazing in his first start since last season.
There was an attitude shift. The team looked motivated. Mistakes were masked or lessened. This group has a different tone heading into this upcoming weekend.
Dalton is the guy going forward. How long that will be may depend on his play and whether the team still believes in Young to the point of starting him again down the line. I’m still a little bit skeptical of Dalton maintaining consistent, clean play over the course of the season.
However, it seems Canales has a knack for getting once-forgotten veteran signal-callers back into playing quality football. My confidence in the team moving forward has certainly increased due to the system in place, the improved offensive line and a defense that is seemingly finding itself after losing Pro Bowler Derrick Brown for the year.
Should Dalton continue to have sound performances, especially this weekend against a quality Bengals defense, hope will arise in the Carolinas once again that its professional football team may not be in the gutter.
Panthers’ starting QB in 2025
Who is most likely to be Panthers starting QB in 2025? – Brian D.
This is a tough question to answer with the season just a few weeks old. After Young’s benching, anything is possible.
Dalton could re-sign with the organization for another year as a bridge player while the team continues to build and use assets around the position. Young could stick around and compete for the QB1 spot in the summer. Drafting a quarterback high or at any point in the 2025 NFL Draft is on the table as well.
Looking at the 2025 free agency list, there are not many viable options out there, and the quarterback class for the upcoming draft seems bleak. But keep an eye on Southern California’s Miller Moss and Miami’s Cameron Ward as the season flows along. If Ward continues to play with better decision-making and finds himself in New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist, he will be on many Panthers fans’ radars.
It’s unlikely Carolina will trade for a quarterback in the draft or the offseason. General manager Dan Morgan isn’t one to give up draft picks in a free-for-all like his predecessor did.
My choice, if he plays the entire season, would be Dalton with Young competing for the starting job.
David Tepper in the background
Do we think this win shows Tepper really didn’t interfere with the Bryce decision and let football folks make the decisions? – @jenw_8
While other national pundits have pointed at Tepper for influencing Canales in his decision to bench Young, I don’t get the sense this was an owner move and I haven’t since the announcement was made.
I have made my displeasure toward the team owner known in this very mailbag. This, however, was a Canales decision through and through. He needed to find a way to get his offense in rhythm again and had to keep his team on the same page. Keeping Young as the starter would’ve likely strained the locker room, and the last thing Canales needs is a roster that’s losing confidence in their first-time NFL head coach.
This was a case of Tepper taking a step back and letting the football personnel make the decisions. I believe Tepper is trying his hardest to stay in the background.
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