On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton and his family were in a car accident in Charlotte. The Panthers released a statement saying, “neither Dalton nor his family were transported by emergency medical personnel.”
Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt. However, on Wednesday, Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced that sophomore No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young would start Week 8 against the Denver Broncos. Let’s examine whether Dalton is injured and what went into this decision.
What Happened to Andy Dalton?
Canales informed reporters that Dalton suffered a sprained thumb during the accident, which is why he’s being benched for Young this week.
Dalton did not practice on Wednesday, and it’s unclear if this is a one-week injury or if Dalton will miss several games due to this injury.
The 36-year-old (who will celebrate his 37th birthday next Tuesday) has been Carolina’s starting quarterback since Week 3. Dalton led the Panthers to a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first start, throwing for 319 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the win.
Bryce Young will start. Andy Dalton sprained thumb in car wreck. #Panthers pic.twitter.com/kuu5gkGYlO
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) October 23, 2024
However, Carolina has lost its last four games with Dalton under center, and he’s thrown for 670 yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions in those games.
Keep an eye on the Panthers’ injury report going forward to track Dalton’s status.
What Can We Expect From Bryce Young in Week 8?
Canales shocked the NFL world when he benched Young after just two games. Looking at the results, the decision was understandable. Carolina was 2-16 with Young as the starter, and he had thrown 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
However, Young was even worse than his traditional stats indicate. In PFN’s QB+ metric, Young posted an F grade (23.3) for the 2023 season. Among qualified quarterbacks last season, he had the lowest grade and ranked 195 out of 198 quarterbacks in PFN’s database since 2019.
This season, Young doesn’t have a QB+ grade because he doesn’t qualify. If he did, his -3.6 grade would be so bad that it would literally redefine the grading scale for some metrics. His net yards per attempt of 3.3 is also below the floor in PFN’s rankings (4.4).
Moreover, Young’s two starts in 2024 were his worst single-game and fourth-worst performances of his career.
In other words, Young has been awful.
Nevertheless, with Dalton injured, the former No. 1 overall pick will have a chance to redeem himself. Since being benched, Young has entered two games in garbage time, going 6 of 9 for 54 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Dalton is almost 37 years old, so he clearly isn’t a long-term solution for the rebuilding Panthers. Carolina’s best bet might be to start Young and see if he can make strides.
Another option is moving Young prior to the Nov. 5 trade deadline. Several teams have reportedly expressed interest in Young, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.