Panthers HC explains why he benched Bryce Young for Andy Dalton: ‘I owe it to all the guys’ | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

Many Carolina Panthers players probably didn’t expect to read about a quarterback change on Monday, but head coach Dave Canales told reporters he had them in mind when he decided to bench Bryce Young for Andy Dalton.

“Andy gives us the best chance to win this week,” he said ahead of the Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I owe it to all the guys… everyone involved to really be critical of what we put on film and what I see, and to make sure I’m making the best decision for the team every week.”

Young has underperformed since the Panthers selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, posting a 2-16 record with 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

It’s also downright baffling to see an NFL team that likely won’t be in playoff contention this season bench its No. 1 draft pick so early in his career.

Both statements could be true at the same time, but Canales’ comments suggest he’s doing what he can to maximize Carolina’s chances of a win against the Raiders. And the NFC South team could use a win after going 2-15 last season and entering the 2024 season 73-13 against the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers.

Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Chargers was ugly. Young completed 18 of 26 passes for just 84 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. He relied heavily on dump-off passes instead of running the ball forward.

“Since his first start in Carolina, the 5-foot-10 Young has never looked comfortable,” wrote NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “Behind a porous offensive line, he’s been all over the place, panicking in the pocket — rarely getting up — has seen his mechanics falter and he’s repeatedly made poor decisions. Young’s play continued to tank through the first two games of the 2024 season.”

For the Panthers, the problems are even more painful when you consider that CJ Stroud was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft and is already one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season while leading the Houston Texans to the playoffs and is off to a 2-0 start in 2024. Perhaps if the Panthers had gone with the No. 1 overall pick on Stroud instead of Young, it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing in hindsight to give up DJ Moore and a treasure trove of draft picks — including the top pick in the 2024 draft — to the Chicago Bears in a trade.

Now the Panthers (0-2) are hoping Dalton, who turns 37 in October, can turn back the clock and replicate some of the success he enjoyed with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2011-15. That seems like a stretch, though, considering he’s a combined 33-52-1 as a starter since 2016 and has started just one game since his stint with the New Orleans Saints in 2022.

Canales has a background in offense, helping Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield find success in assistant roles before becoming the Panthers’ head coach this year.

The hope is that he can do the same with Young.

But in the meantime, Dalton will be the quarterback.