Panthers to bench 2023 No 1 overall pick Bryce Young and start Andy Dalton

The Carolina Panthers have decided to bench 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after the quarterback had a rough start to the season in his sophomore year, according to a team source.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales is expected to comment on the situation later on Monday.

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton is expected to step into the starting role.

Young has completed just 31 of 56 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions as the Panthers have started the season 0-2 and have been outscored 73-13 by the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. Young has run for one touchdown, Carolina’s only of the season. In Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Chargers, Young threw for just 84 yards.

Young is 2-16 as a starter since the Panthers moved up eight spots in the 2023 NFL draft to acquire him. The Panthers made a significant investment in that deal with Chicago, sending wide receiver DJ Moore and four draft picks to the Bears — one of which turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft after the Panthers finished a league-worst 2-15 last season. There were concerns about his size before he was drafted — at 5ft 10in, he’s much smaller than the average NFL quarterback — but he also came to a team run by the chaotic ownership of David Tepper. To make matters even more shocking, the quarterback drafted behind Young in 2023, CJ Stroud, was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season and led the Houston Texans to the playoffs. The Panthers still owe the Bears their 2025 second-round pick as part of the Young trade.

Dalton, 36, played one game for the Panthers last season while Young was injured, throwing two touchdowns and zero interceptions in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.