By Brian Murphy, WRAL

The Carolina Panthers benched second-year quarterback Bryce Young after two dreadful performances to start the 2024 season, first-year head coach Dave Canales said Monday.

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton will start in his place against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

“This is the best decision for our group, our team moving forward,” Canales said.

The move was first reported by the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Canales informed Young and Dalton on Monday and then told the rest of the team.

Young, 23, threw for 84 yards and one interception in the Panthers’ 26-3 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. He threw for 161 yards and two interceptions in a Week 1 loss to New Orleans.

Canales said he made the decision after watching film, talking with assistant coaches and front-office personnel. Canales said he would keep any conversation with owner David Tepper private.

“This was my decision,” Canales said.

Young will be the team’s backup behind Dalton this week against the Raiders, Canales said.

Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after a Heisman Trophy-winning career at Alabama, started 16 games for the Panthers last season. The team went 2-14 in those games.

“After watching it and taking all the information in, we feel like Andy gives us our best chance to win,” Canales said.

The Panthers traded four draft picks and standout wide receiver D.J. Moore to Chicago to move up to No. 1 and select Young. One of the picks became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which used the selection on quarterback Caleb Williams. The Panthers traded their first- and second-round picks in 2023, their first-round pick in 2024 and their second-round pick in 2025.

At 5-foot-10, Young lacks prototypical size for an NFL quarterback. His struggles have been amplified by the success of Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in 2023.

Canales was brought in during the off-season. Canales has defended Young, including Sunday when asked questions about benching him during the game or not starting him next week.

“Bryce is our quarterback,” Canales said Sunday after the game. “I’d love to see this thing to continue to take the next steps offensively right now.”

When asked if Young would start against the Raiders, Canales said: “Bryce is our quarterback. We’re going to just continue to shore up and fix things we need to fundamentally, from a scheme standpoint, all those things. These are all valuable reps.”

Dalton, 36, spent nine seasons with the Bengals, throwing for more than 3,000 yards eight times. Since leaving Cincinnati, Dalton has played for the Cowboys (2020), Bears (2021) and Saints (2022) before joining Carolina in 2023.

“I believe he gives us our best chance to win this week,” Canales said.

Source: wralsportsfan.com