Panthers' locker room felt better with Andy Dalton than Bryce Young as QB1

Carolina's roster has full trust in its veteran quarterback.

Schuyler Callihan | Sep 26, 2024

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Carolina Panthers

It was a tough call to make, but it appears Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales made the right decision by benching Bryce Young for the veteran Andy Dalton.

The Panthers' offense was incredibly stale in the first two games of the season with very few throws going beyond five yards down the field. Carolina had to live and die by the underneath passing game which made it really easy for opposing teams to defend.

In his first start of the season, Dalton threw the ball all over the yard getting seven different receivers involved. According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the majority of those in the Panthers' building believed they would be more competitive with the 36-year-old running the offense.

"Bryce Young had to sit down because he was repeating too many of the same mistakes and it didn't look as if it would get better," Graziano wrote. "But also, everyone you talk to in Carolina says Andy Dalton looked great all offseason, and the team believed the offense would be considerably better if it put the veteran in. The locker room surely was feeling that."

With a convincing win over the Raiders in Week 3, there's now a sense of belief that they can still accomplish everything they want to. Continuing to trot Young out there could have further damaged the team's confidence if those struggles continued.