Bryce Young to Be Panthers’ QB1 vs. Broncos; Dalton Suffered Thumb Injury in Crash

Julia StumbaughOctober 23, 2024

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Five weeks after being benched, quarterback Bryce Young is set to start again for the Carolina Panthers in Week 7.

Young will play on Sunday against the Denver Broncos after Andy Dalton suffered a sprained thumb in a car crash, head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Wednesday.

Joe Person @josephpersonBryce Young will start. Andy Dalton has sprained thumb. pic.twitter.com/t0surwNGbW

Dalton was involved in an accident while driving with his family on Tuesday in Charlotte. Canales said that “everyone was healthy” following the crash.

Sunday will mark Young’s first start since Week 2. He saw some playing time in relief of Dalton last Sunday during the blowout loss to the Commanders that dropped the Panthers’ record to 1-6.

Dalton, who stepped into the QB1 role in Week 3, has led the Panthers to a 1-4 record in five starts.

His roughest outing of the season came in D.C. on Sunday, during which the veteran signal-caller went 11-of-16 for 93 yards while throwing two picks and no touchdowns before he was benched in the fourth quarter of the 40-7 loss.

Canales still indicated to reporters on Monday that Dalton was still the Panthers’ starter over Young going forward.

“Right now we’re focused on the Broncos,” Canales said on Monday (h/t NBC Sports’ Josh Alper.) “Andy’s playing this week and that’s really where our focus is at. All those other conversations are all hypothetical conversations that definitely [general manager Dan Morgan and [EVP of football operations Brandt Tillis], we have to have, but right now we’re focused on playing the Broncos and getting Andy to take another step in terms of getting us back to playing good football.”

When asked directly about his faith in Young, Canales doubled down, saying that the team was focused only on Dalton.

Now, however, Canales and the Panthers have been forced to turn back to Young, who passed for 250 yards while throwing three picks in two starts, both losses, prior to being benched.

The Panthers head coach was much more complimentary of Young during Wednesday’s media availability, during which he said the 2023 top pick had been “engaged the whole time” while serving as Dalton’s backup (h/t USA Today’s Anthony Rizzuti.)

“We had great football conversations. During the week, fine-tuning our game plans,” Canales said about Young. “On Sunday, on the sideline, talking through things. So he’s been engaged and a part of that whole thing. So, for me, it’s great for him that he approached it with such class and integrity, this hard situation.

“And now, he gets to get back out there and play some football.”

When asked if Young could earn the starting role back by succeeding against the Broncos, Canales said that the decision would be “week to week” depending on Dalton’s injury status. Young himself told reporters he was focused on the “day to day” heading into Week 8.