Dave Canales has made the first seismic move of his head-coaching tenure in Carolina.
The Panthers are benching quarterback Bryce Young and starting veteran Andy Dalton beginning this coming Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday, per sources informed of the situation.
After an ugly 0-2 start to the season, Canales watched the tape and decided a change was needed, Pelissero added.
Canales told reporters later Monday that the decision to bench Young was his, stressing that he made the move to Dalton because “Andy gives us our best chance to win this week.”
“Hate to sound like a broken record, I owe it to all the guys … everybody involved to be really critical about what we put on film and what I’m seeing,” Canales said, “and to make sure that I’m constantly making the best decision for the team, every week.”
Young has struggled mightily since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but it’s still stunning to see the Alabama product benched 18 starts into his career.
The Panthers have gotten hammered twice to open Canales’ tenure. After a Week 1 blowout loss in New Orleans, Carolina took it on the chin in the home opener Sunday in a 26-3 loss to the L.A. Chargers. In two games, Carolina has put up just 13 total points.
Young combined for 245 passing yards with three interceptions, zero touchdowns, and a 55.4 completion percentage through two weeks. On Sunday, he set a career low with 84 passing yards with an interception.
Canales told reporters after the game on Sunday that Young remained the team’s QB1, and he was asked what sparked the change of course fewer than 24 hours later.
“I had to watch the film,” Canales said on Monday. “By the time that I spoke to you all I hadn’t watched the film. So, I went home. I watched the film. I gathered the information, and I made the best decision for the team, especially for the offense of what’s going to put us in the best place to be successful this week.”
Since his first start in Carolina, the 5-foot-10 Young has never looked comfortable. Behind a porous offensive line, he’s been scattershot, panicked in the pocket — rarely stepping up — has seen his mechanics go wonky, and repeatedly has made poor decisions. Young’s play continued to plummet through the first two games of the 2024 season.
This offseason, the Panthers set out to improve the disastrous situation surrounding the QB they traded away a haul to acquire in the 2023 draft — including star receiver DJ Moore and what would end up as the No. 1 overall pick (Caleb Williams). Carolina spent big to improve the interior offensive line, traded for Diontae Johnson and drafted Xavier Legette in the first round. Heretofore, none of it has helped.
Canales was hired specifically for his work with quarterbacks, helping recalibrate the careers of Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa. His determination after two games is that Dalton is the better option right now, and he declined to tell reporters on Monday whether this was a one-week benching or a permanent switch under center.
The path forward will now be interesting for the club and Young. It could be the case where the coach needs to figure out what parts of the offense work and can’t do so with a spiraling quarterback. Canales might think some time on the sideline could be good for the 23-year-old quarterback. However it plays out, Young will take a backseat in Carolina. The question is when, if ever, the former No. 1 pick will get back in the driver’s seat.
