Andy Dalton isn’t just serving as the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback heading into this Sunday’s home game against the 0-3 Cincinnati Bengals. He’s also helping second-year signal-caller Bryce Young deal with being benched by first-year head coach Dave Canales after Week 2 of the ongoing season.
For a piece published Friday, ESPN’s David Newton detailed how Dalton, a second-round choice from the 2011 NFL Draft, is mentoring the first pick of last year’s player-selection process during what has to be a difficult situation.
“Andy’s more of a big brother to Bryce,” Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo told Newton. “There’s no bad blood, just a big bro showing him how to do it.”
There was a time in the spring of 2023 when it seemed like then-Panthers head coach Frank Reich would make Dalton his Week 1 starter so that Young could first learn about life in the NFL as a backup. However, it soon became clear Young would open his rookie campaign as Carolina’s QB1. He struggled throughout a rough debut pro season before flopping across the club’s first two games earlier this month.
“This is a relationship that has been built between the two of them over a long time,” veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen said about the bond between Dalton and Young. “They trust each other. They love each other.”
Young reportedly was “p—-d” to learn he was being relegated to QB2 duties after he completed only two starts playing under Canales. With that said, it’s believed the Panthers will hold onto the 23-year-old through the Nov. 5 trade deadline before they likely shop him to other teams during the upcoming offseason. Then again, Canales and Co. may be hoping a reset that includes sitting behind Dalton will result in Young eventually becoming the franchise player the Panthers hoped they were getting on the opening night of the 2023 draft.
Dalton was benched by the Bengals during the 2019 season and is thus somewhat familiar with what Young is feeling this fall.
“There’s every emotion with anything that goes on right now,” Dalton explained. “It’s tough, because you know Bryce knows that he has all the ability to be the guy, and everybody knows that and believes that. But when it’s taken away from you, it’s hard. I’ve felt every emotion he’s feeling.”
Dalton passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in last Sunday’s 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders that improved Carolina to 1-2 on the season. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Panthers as 4.5-point home underdogs against the Bengals.
