The Commanders and Panthers are in totally different places — a good thing for Washington.
The Panthers organization is in bad shape.
Not only are the Panthers 1-5, but they also have the NFL’s worst point differential this season. And it is not even close. How bad is it? Well, after only six games, the Panthers have already been outscored by 100 points, and the closest to them (Jaguars) are a -65.
Therefore, in only six games, the Panthers are averaging not only being the worst team but the worst team by a touchdown more than anyone else.
Their new head coach, Dave Canales, is in his first season as an NFL head coach. Is it perhaps more telling that Canales got the job after only one season as an NFL coordinator?
Which brings us to majority owner David Tepper. Tepper took over the Panthers in 2019, fired Ron Rivera midseason, and has since kept the revolving door busy.
Tepper fired Rivera and appointed Perry Fewell to finish out 2019. Tepper then hired Matt Rhule in 2020, but during the 2022 season, Rhule was given the pink slip, and Steve Wilks was tabbed as interim head coach to conclude 2022.
Frank Reich was Tepper’s next choice as head coach in 2023. However, after only 11 games, Reich was fired, leaving Chris Tabor to finish the season.
Canales accepted the offer, resulting in Tepper being his boss while Canales took on his first NFL head coaching position. By the way, Washington had not yet hired Dan Quinn.
Tepper wanted QB Bryce Young (Alabama) and traded entirely too much, moving from the No. 9 position in the 2023 draft to the top position. C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) was certainly available, but Tepper got his choice.
The Texans rebounded to a winning season in 2023, while the Panthers finished an NFL-worst 2-15. They are still without the top pick in the 2024 draft because Tepper gave it up to get Young in 2023.
How might Panthers fans feel Sunday when watching the Panthers face Jayden Daniels, who could have been their choice this year if Tepper had not traded up for Young?
All week, the Commanders have heard from the DMV fan base, NFL media, and local media that Washington is now the favorite to win the NFC East.
But that is not solely because Washington is invincible. No, the Commanders have several roster needs that will be addressed next offseason.
Yet, for now, Commanders fans can be very thankful that their owner is Josh Harris, not David Tepper, their GM is Adam Peters, their head coach is Dan Quinn, and their quarterback is Jayden Daniels.
Should Andy Dalton be the Panthers’ starting QB for the long haul? We answer that and more in this week’s mailbag.
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
Louis Grasse/Getty Images
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?
Sep 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) celebrates after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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
Ian Maule/Getty Images
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
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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.
Sunday’s win proved to be an extra one for Panthers HC Dave Canales.
There’s no doubt that Dave Canales’ first win as head coach of the Carolina Panthers would be a special one. But Sunday’s triumph meant even more considering everything that went into it.
Canales chatted with reporters this afternoon to put a bow on Week 3’s stunning 36-22 upset over the Las Vegas Raiders. Towards the end of his presser, the 43-year-old was asked about the passionate postgame celebration that made its rounds on social media last night.
“I live for the celebration of the group,” he stated. “I live for the celebration of everybody that’s working so hard to try to find those wins throughout the week. And I live for the spirit of the players, that they feel pride about what we’re doing. That’s so important to me.”
The players had to have been proud of what they did yesterday, especially on offense. In their first game after Canales made the tough decision to bench 2023 No. 1 overall pick and second-year quarterback Bryce Young, the unit accumulated 437 total yards and scored on seven of their 11 drives.
Carolina’s defense wasn’t too shabby either, as they racked up a season-high three sacks and picked off Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew. They also held Las Vegas to just 55 rushing yards, quite the accomplishment considering how both the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers gashed them in Weeks 1 and 2.
Canales then talked about the importance of the game ball, one he received from owner David Tepper.
“The game ball—I’ll always remember this for the rest of the my life,” he added. “Part of the pregame that I got emotional about is my dad’s 75 years old, and couldn’t make it down the sideline to see him. But the rest of my family was. But I could see him sitting underneath that 107 sign up there and just kinda looking up and how special it was for me to get my first win with all of family there. My brothers, their wives, all the kids, my cousins, my parents—that they were all there in that moment to share it. It was really, really special.
“And to also, just like . . . I wanna make the people proud that brought me here. Mr. and Mrs. Tepper, Dan Morgan, part of that process, all the people that were on the panel interviewing me to come here and to build something, to build a program that we can be proud of. And it’s just one game, and I cherish that ball.”
The ball is now in Canales’ office, sitting next to the game ball from his first win as the head junior varsity coach at Carson High School.
In a rant about the state of the Panthers, Johnson took Tepper to task for meddling too much as an overly involved owner. He blasted Tepper for not trusting and listening to the people he hired to do their jobs. Honestly, Johnson makes a terrific, evergreen point about how most sports owners should probably operate with their teams.
Sign the checks, and just let people do their jobs!
The Panthers are beyond dysfunctional, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope on the horizon. If Tepper continues to meddle, it’s hard to see them turning this around. So, he should probably take Johnson’s advice.
Cam Newton “spoke for” Bryce Young after the second-year QB’s sudden benching by the Panthers.
Cam Newton and Bryce Young were thrust into pretty similar situations to begin their pro football careers. Both were Heisman Trophy winners in college, both were No. 1 overall draft picks and both were expected to lead the middling Carolina Panthers to relevance.
But sharing a similar situation doesn’t mean they necessarily shared a similar environment. And, in turn, the results couldn’t be more different.
Newton, in his latest episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, gave his thoughts on Carolina’s sudden benching of the struggling second-year quarterback. But instead of placing all the blame on Young, the franchise’s all-leading passer takes some aim at the franchise itself . . .
As Newton notes, the Panthers have lacked stability around Young. The 23-year-old has now had two different head coaches and three different offensive play-callers over a 19-game span.
Those 19 games have seen Carolina go 2-17 (2-16 in Young’s starts), with Young throwing for a lowly 173.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Head coach Dave Canales pulled the plug after just two outings here in 2024, where Young has totaled 245 passing yards and three picks.
Newton, on the other hand, experienced incredible success early on in his NFL career. Not only did he triple his team’s win total in his very first season, pushing the 2-14 Panthers to a respectable 6-10 in 2011, but he also put on a rookie campaign for the ages in doing so.
By Year No. 3, Newton pulled the organization to an NFC South title—the first of three consecutive division crowns. And by Year No. 5, he led Carolina to their second-ever Super Bowl appearance while becoming the franchise’s first-ever recipient of the Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Unfortunately, it’s now extremely difficult to envision Young following a similar path to Newton’s—or anything even close to it. But maybe, just maybe, Bryce’s story still isn’t over in Carolina.
Panthers fans had quite a few questions about the Bryce Young situation. So, we answered them!
The Carolina Panthers are under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons entering Week 3.
Following another disastrous start to the season for quarterback Bryce Young, the team announced on Monday that the 2023 No. 1 overall pick would be benched in favor of 36-year-old veteran Andy Dalton. Fans now have questions as to what’s next for the franchise and what is to come ahead of Carolina’s road trip out west to take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Let’s reach into this week’s edition of the Panthers Wire mailbag and answer some of your inquiries…
(Note: Some questions have been edited for length and clarity.)
A break for Bryce
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Is this temporary to give Bryce a break and he will be back this season? – @jenw_8
After benching Young on Monday, head coach Dave Canales has not specifically ruled out the possibility of the 23-year-old playing again this season. He also said that he still believes Young can be a franchise quarterback, and that he and his staff are about the growth and development of the players on their roster.
That last part tells me that we will likely see Young again in 2024. This type of move is hard to come back from though—especially when it’s this early in his career.
For now, Dalton is the starter, but it’s fair to expect Young to be back under center around the Week 11 bye. Right now, Canales is focused on getting the offense into a rhythm by promoting a stubborn run game and a reliable passing outlet.
Moving on from Young via trade
Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Should the Panthers consider trading Young? If so, what would they be able to get for him? A second-round pick would be worth the move, but I don’t think they could get that. – David J.
Is there any reason Bryce is at his absolute bottom value? I see rumors he will be traded. Why? – Norm C.
As of right now, there have been no indications that Young is being shopped—and Canales has made that clear.
But things can change. So, let’s explore this hypothetical.
Being a former top selection in any draft, especially at quarterback, would intrigue any team in need of a developmental player, spot-starter or even a long-term piece in the perfect circumstances. His value may seem “low” at the moment, but there is definite trade value in acquiring a talent like Young.
This is a signal-caller that is still quite skilled, and flashed that potential numerous times last season. The regression from last year is concerning, but plenty of quarterback-needy teams outside of Carolina will want to attempt to “fix” the former Heisman Trophy winner.
I could see a team offering a conditional draft selection or a Day 3 choice for his services if general manager Dan Morgan decides to move on this upcoming offseason. The teams that intrigue me in such a scenario would be the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets.
The last is a team that isn’t talked about enough as a potential destination. They have a lot of core pieces and a Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, who could be a great mentor for a year or two.
Panthers’ ceiling with Andy Dalton
Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images
What is this team’s ceiling if Andy ends up being a competent QB for us? – @MING0SZN
Great question. This is a fascinating time in franchise history, and Dalton will be getting what is likely to be the final go-round of his career considering his age.
I spent Tuesday evening watching Dalton’s All-22 film from his lone start for Carolina against the Seattle Seahawks. You will see competent play at the position and someone who will have answers for pressures and blitzes.
Dalton will provide a slightly calmer presence under center and will climb the pocket consistently. He does a great job using eye manipulation to hold safeties and take shots downfield.
A few inquiries were made about the lack of a deep ball from the Panthers offense to start the season, and it’s mainly a combination of teams playing with two high safety shells and a young quarterback who has simply lost his confidence as a thrower.
Under Dalton, you’ll see him test defenses downfield while being able to get to his checkdown outlets and short/intermediate hot routes quickly. The ceiling of this offense should be raised a fair amount. However, until Carolina’s defense can get stops against the run, the offense will still play with little room for error.
Expect improvement and possibly a few wins with the long-time signal-caller. And if he somehow gets the team on a winning streak, don’t expect Young back in Carolina next season.
Carolina’s struggles as a franchise
Grant Halverson/Getty Images
On a scale of 1-10 how messed up are the Carolina Panthers? – Chris A.
This question was a bit more expletive, but it’s a fair one to ask.
On a scale of one to 10, I would say the Panthers are at a nine for how “messed up” they are as an organization.
It all starts with David Tepper and his decision-making as a professional football franchise owner dating back to 2018. The two coaches he hired before Canales, keeping former general manager Marty Hurney an extra year longer, the hiring of the next general manager Scott Fitterer and never committing to a full rebuild after the departures of franchise greats Luke Kuechly, Greg Olsen and Cam Newton in 2020 have put the franchise where they are today— in the basement of the league.
There needs to be a commitment to winning while also rebuilding a team that needs to get younger. Canales is a coach who will likely stick around for a little while and be given a chance to establish what he wants within the building. There will be skeptics and pessimists due to the owner along with other aspects of the organization and roster.
The Panthers will likely have the worst rushing defense in football while trying to figure out their quarterback situation for the short and long term. Their core pieces beyond 2024 are defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who is out for the season with a torn meniscus, and cornerback Jaycee Horn, who the team is hoping remains healthy.
As Canales said this week—the team will be focused on trying to win games, but will grow and develop their players. This is not a playoff team and won’t be for the foreseeable future. Only time will tell on how things progress and if Tepper stays in the shadows as much as possible.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper believes the Panthers are to blame for Bryce Young’s struggles in the NFL.
There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on since the Carolina Panthers decided to bench quarterback Bryce Young on Monday. And when it comes to the godfather of NFL draft coverage, he’s pointing his finger straight at upper management.
ESPN analyst and longtime draft guru Mel Kiper joined Tuesday’s episode of Get Up to discuss the demotion of last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Head coach Dave Canales announced yesterday that the team will sit the second-year passer and move ahead with 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3.
Kiper believes Young’s struggles have come as a result of the organization mishandling him, and made that rather clear in a very passionate rant this morning . . .
Young was ranked as Kiper’s No. 2 overall player and top quarterback prospect heading into the 2023 draft. He would, of course, be selected right off the top of the board by Carolina that spring.
Since then, Young has played under three different head coaches (one interim), three different offensive play-callers and two different general managers. The Panthers are 2-16 in games started by Young—who has thrown for 173.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
The logic behind Dave Canales’ decision to bench Bryce Young comes back to his No. 1 responsibility—the Carolina Panthers.
Already down 23-3 around the midpoint of the third quarter, the Carolina Panthers didn’t have much to hang onto in their Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. But whatever was left was given away by quarterback Bryce Young.
Young, on a third-and-7 from Carolina’s own 33-yard line, scared himself into a sack—turning down an open pocket in front of him only to scatter backwards into the waiting arms of Pro Bowl pass rusher Joey Bosa.
this was the worst Bryce Young play of Week 2
3rd and 7 – this has to be a climb. Not an exit out of the back and run into a sack.
Second phase to Thielen, since no one was open on the primary side, is the play to make here. pic.twitter.com/qGTxtrZAxP
It was just one of a handful of head-scratching plays the former Heisman Trophy winner has already made this season, as he’s continued to mystify fans in a much different way compared to his magical, playmaking days at the University of Alabama.
His mistake also perplexed veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who was caught in an uncharacteristic display of emotion at the sideline . . .
It was in this moment that Thielen not only gave us a simple glimpse into human nature. He also gave the Panthers and head coach Dave Canales a glimpse into exactly what they do not want.
Since then, Young has been officially bumped. Canales announced on Monday that he’s decided to bench the 23-year-old Young in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3.
Albeit a somber one, the decision represented the first big-time move from the first-year head coach. Whether or not owner David Tepper played a role in the choice, demoting last year’s No. 1 overall pick takes some courage.
Oh, and Young’s not just any plain ol’ No. 1 overall pick. Tepper and the Panthers forked over what’s turning out to be a crippling ransom to get into position for him.
So, why did Canales pull the plug on Young so quickly? Why did this supposed quarterback whisperer bail on the project he was brought in to ace?
Well, we have to look back to Thielen’s reaction from Sunday.
Although Canales was hired, in part, to “fix” Young after a disappointing rookie campaign, his overall objective is to fix the Panthers. And that, with a six-year identity crisis plaguing the franchise into the deepest bowels of the NFL’s basement, can only begin by establishing a culture.
That didn’t seem feasible given Young’s early play, which has—ironically enough—stunted the growth of Carolina’s offense. Through two games, Young has passed for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while the Panthers have amassed all of 13 points and a grand total of two successful third-down conversions.
His performance has been particularly concerning given the relatively solid offerings from the players around him. In addition to his pass catchers finally finding some space, Young’s starting offensive line has done awfully well—as the five hog mollies have combined to allow just nine pressures thus far.
But when a quarterback isn’t doing his job, the rest of the team suffers. And when the team suffers, players cannot buy in and a culture cannot evolve.
What do you tell wideout Diontae Johnson, who has only five receptions for 34 yards to start a contract year? What do you tell Thielen, who may not have many seasons left in his 34-year-old body?
While some may believe that sticking with Young and hoping he eventually matures into the organization’s massive investment is the logical approach, it’s not very sensible to the other 52 men on the roster. You can’t tell them you’re staying with a quarterback who cannot operate a pro offense right now.
That is, essentially, what Canales told reporters on Monday.
“Every single week—we’re evaluating our roster, we’re challenging all spots, we’re looking to just be as competitive as possible,” he said. “And that’s the part that we owe, again, to everybody—is to really continue to evaluate who we have out there, who can help us.”
Courageous decisions can often made out of fear for the greater good. So even though he may be admitting a particularly painful failure on Young, at least for now, Canales has bravely taken one for his team.
Panthers HC Dave Canales when asked if owner David Tepper was in on the decision to bench QB Bryce Young: “I wanna keep that private.”
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales hasn’t kept his close relationship with owner David Tepper much of a secret. But he still doesn’t plan on divulging many, if any details about their interactions—especially today.
On Monday, Canales announced the team’s decision to bench second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Young, who will give way to veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3, has struggled to start the 2024 season—as he’s passed for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions over two blowout losses.
When taking questions, Canales was asked if Tepper had any role in the move.
“I wanna keep that private,” Canales replied. “What I would like to say though is this is something after I watched the film. I looked at it, had a thought, starting working on talking to the guys that we make decisions with. Certainly, a lot of parties involved there. And ultimately, this comes on me, and my No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win. And so this move, I believe, puts us in the best chance to do that this week.”
Tepper, of course, has garnered quite the reputation of being a bit hands-on as an owner. He helped complete perhaps the biggest move in franchise history last spring, when they traded up to the 2023 draft’s No. 1 overall pick in a massive deal with the Chicago Bears.
Unfortunately, that investment has failed to pay off. The Panthers have gone 2-16 in games started by Young, who is now averaging 173.4 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Canales told reporters that he spoke with coaches as well as president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis before making the decision.
Panthers HC Dave Canales says he met with owner David Tepper following Sunday’s 47-10 loss to the Saints.
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wants to continue to build a pretty important relationship with a pretty important pair of people—even on his bad days.
Canales spoke with reporters following this afternoon’s practice, the first official session since his rough head-coaching debut on Sunday. He was asked if he’s had the opportunity to speak with owner David Tepper after his team’s 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Canales replied. “I talked to him. And, of course, these are people that I wanna make proud of what we’re doing here and what we’re building. So, it means a lot to me to make sure that I connect with him, to connect with Nicole [Tepper]—to be able to talk about just the state of our organization, just kinda following up on games.
“I look forward to that process. So we had some good times to connect after the game. Those are private conversations that I’ll keep to myself. But a lot of support.”
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. After all, the Panthers—in their official announcement of his hiring, in fact—stated that Canales would report directly to Tepper.
Anyway, Dave also had a special message for David.
“Happy birthday, by the way, David,” Canales later added while looking into the hard camera from the presser. “I hope you’re having a great time with the family.”
