CHARLOTTE, N.C — Bryce Young is back in as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback.
Panthers coach Dave Caneles said Young will start Sunday against the Denver Broncos after Andy Dalton was diagnosed with a sprained right thumb on his throwing hand sustained during a car crash Tuesday in Charlotte.
Dalton did not practice Wednesday and is listed as day to day. There is a chance he could be the No. 2 quarterback this week depending on his recovery.
“Bryce has been an absolute stud through this whole process,” Canales said. “He has been engaged. He has been involved in what we were doing and is excited about the opportunity.”
Young said Canales has not told him who would be the starter moving forward if he plays well this week.
The Broncos have the league’s fifth-ranked pass defense.
Canales informed Young on Tuesday night of the decision to start him after Dalton was checked out by the team’s medical staff. However, the team chose not to announce it until after practice Wednesday.
The start will give Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, another opportunity to prove himself before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. He is 2-16 as an NFL starter and was benched two games into the season because of his ineffectiveness.
He was replaced by Dalton, who won his first start but has lost four straight since.
“I’m fired up for him to have another opportunity and just get in there and play some football,” Canales said of Young.
Young said it has been “challenging” being demoted and watching mostly from the sideline the last five games. He has gotten mop-up work twice since being benched.
“I had to lean on my faith, lean on the people in this locker room and lean on family,” Young said. “I’m super grateful where I am at. … There is stuff that is out of my control and stuff that will go well in life and stuff that won’t. But there is a lot of things in my life that I’m super grateful for and through good and bad I want to focus on that outside of football.”
Dalton said he and his wife had just picked up their three children from school Tuesday and he was driving at the time of the two-car crash. His family did not need to go to the hospital.
“All things considered I am glad that I am feeling how I am feeling and that my family is feeling how they’re feeling,” said Dalton, who had his right hand wrapped in an elastic bandage. “I am thankful for the Lord’s protection. It was obviously a scary deal and you never want anything like that to happen.”
Dalton said the driver of the other car also escaped serious injury.
“The good thing is everybody is safe,” he said.
Dalton did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The Panthers did get some good news Wednesday as veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen returned to practice after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury.
