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Andy Dalton Named Panthers Starting QB Over Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales might have seen enough from quarterback Bryce Young. He feels it’s not yet time for the second-year player from Alabama to lead the struggling franchise. Instead, Canales dialed a change as veteran Andy Dalton took over the starting duties.

Dalton has been with the Panthers since signing a two-year, $10 million contract last season. However, he only played three games last year, finishing with 34 completions for 361 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers are the fifth NFL team Dalton played for. He started his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and earned three Pro Bowl selections in his nine-year tenure. After leaving Cincinnati, the former TCU standout had one-year stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints.

Dalton will try to do his part in reversing the Panthers’ fortunes early in the season. After two games, Carolina generated only 13 points while losing by an average of 30 points per game. Meanwhile, Young had 31 completions for 245 yards and three interceptions in those two games.

With the Panthers' season slipping away, Canales needed to put an experienced player behind center. However, while the rookie head coach still believes in Young’s capacity to lead the franchise, he will have Dalton take over for the Panthers in their Week 3 road game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Coincidentally, Dalton has won all four matchups against the Raiders throughout his career. He won two with the Bengals and one apiece with the Bears and the Saints. As for Young, he will continue to learn the NFL’s ropes from the sideline, barring any injury to Dalton.

-Lance Fernandez

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