Panthers bench QB Bryce Young, former No. 1 pick, after dismal start to season

The winless Carolina Panthers benched struggling quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, in favor of veteran Andy Dalton, the team announced Monday.

Following the Panthers’ 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in Week 2, Carolina coach Dave Canales endorsed Young as “our quarterback.” But less than 24 hours later, that stance changed.

“This is the best decision for our group, our team, going forward,” Canales said Monday. “I just owe it to all the guys, the coaches, the staff, the players, everybody involved to be really critical about what we put on film, about what I’m seeing and to make sure that I’m constantly making the best decision for the team every week. And it happens to be the quarterback position and so it’s loaded that way, but it’s every position and it’s all the guys.”

Young, last year’s top pick after a stellar college career at Alabama, has struggled to up his game on Sundays. Through two games this year, he has the lowest QB rating (44.1) of any starter in the NFL. He’s thrown three interceptions with no touchdowns in Carolina’s opening two losses.

He started 16 games of the Panthers’ woeful 2-15 campaign last year.

Dalton will be under center when the Panthers visit the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. The 37-year-old had been the long-time quarterback in Cincinnati, leading the Bengals to the playoffs four times and earning Pro Bowl honors three times.

Since leaving the Bengals before the 2020 season, he’s started in just 30 games with four teams over a little more than four seasons.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to start again,” Dalton told members of the media Monday. “I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited about what’s ahead. It’s a tough situation. I’ve been on both sides of it. It’s hard on everybody. But for me, I’m looking forward to it.”