Bryce Young will have at least another week as Carolina’s QB1.
Head coach Dave Canales said in his Wednesday press conference that Young will start against the Saints on Sunday, as Andy Dalton continues to rehab his right thumb injury.
“Andy is progressing,” Canales said. “He was out there throwing and I just really looked at all the things and for me, just erred on the side of caution and wanted to get Andy in the best possible situation to be able to make a decision going forward.
“Also, I’m excited for Bryce to have an opportunity to build off some of the things he did last week. Certainly things to work on, but a lot of good stuff that he did, too.”
While Dalton was a full participant in Carolina’s Wednesday practice, Canales noted that he wants to give Dalton more time to make sure his thumb is healed.
“It really was me taking the decision out of Andy’s hands,” Canales said. “If you were to ask Andy, can you go? He would tell you, yes. And for me, it’s like, he’s a week removed from a thumb injury. And I just wanted to make sure that we’re putting him back out there in the right state, in the right framework.
“And, I’m excited for Bryce to have another opportunity to build on the things that we’ve talked about, to continue to just grow and get that experience that we’ve talked about is invaluable — to be on the field, to be calling the plays, and doing it.”
This doesn’t mean that Young will remain the starter going forward, however.
“Bryce will be starting this week. We’ll collect all the information over the week with Andy, with Bryce, how he plays this week,” Canales said. “And then we’ll make another decision next week.”
Young completed 24-of-37 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Carolina’s 28-14 loss to Denver last week. In five appearances with three starts this season, Young has completed 59.8 percent of his throws for 523 yards with two touchdowns and five picks.
Also on the injury report, offensive tackle Ike Ekwonu (ankle), tight end Feleipe Franks (concussion), linebacker DJ Johnson (ankle), safety Jammie Robinson (knee), and tight end Tommy Tremble (back) all did not practice.
Receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) was limited.
Running back Jonathon Brooks (knee), defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy (ankle), safety Jordan Fuller (hamstring), offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (knee), and linebacker D.J. Wonnum (quad) were all full.
Linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker Josey Jewell, and defensive end A’Shawn Robinson received rest days.
In the 2023 draft, three of the top four picks were quarterbacks. To date, two of the three have been benched.
After two weeks, Bryce Young — the first overall pick, made by the Panthers after trading up from No. 9 — was removed from the starting lineup for Andy Dalton. After eight weeks, the fourth pick, Anthony Richardson, has been benched for Joe Flacco.
The exception to date has been Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick and the 2023 NFL offensive rookie of the year.
Stroud’s Houston team keeps thriving. The Texans, at 6-2, are on track for a second straight playoff berth. The Panthers, in contrast, are the worst team in the league. The Colts, at 4-4, could make the postseason. If they do, it’ll happen with Joe Flacco playing quarterback.
The future for both Young and Richardson is murky at best. Young has started 19 games, winning only two. (He returned to the lineup on Sunday, because Andy Dalton was injured.) Richardson has 10 starts.
While it’s highly unlikely that either will be traded by Tuesday’s deadline, it’s fair to wonder what the offseason will bring. The Panthers likely will be looking for a new starter. The Colts could give Richardson a fresh start in Indy. Unless some other team that coveted Richardson makes the Colts an offer they won’t refuse.
Then there’s the possibility of a regime change in Indy. That would likely expedite Richardson’s exit.
However it plays out, it’s another example of young quarterbacks failing in their first NFL stops. With, as we’ve seen this year, the possibility that they will figure it out with a new team, in time.
For Young and Richardson, the time could come as soon as 2025. Barring what would be a surprise trade of either or both within the next six days.
The Panthers gave away wide receiver Diontae Johnson in a trade with the Ravens, getting only a fifth-round pick while giving up a sixth-round pick. Carolina also will pay more than $3 million in cash and cap space.
That likely will prompt calls from other teams about other players who might be available on the Panthers’ roster.
Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, though, reports the Panthers have no plans to trade cornerback Jaycee Horn or running back Chuba Hubbard.
“They’re not having a fire sale,” a source told Schultz.
Every player — save a handful of players — has a price, though, which means the Panthers probably will listen to offers.
The Panthers are 1-7 after winning only two games last season. They have not had a winning record or made the playoffs since 2017.
New Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson is a very cheap acquisition in Baltimore.
The Panthers are paying most of Johnson’s remaining salary in the deal, and the Ravens will only have to pay Johnson about $625,000, according to Jeff Zrebiec of TheAthletic.com.
The trade was Johnson and the Panthers’ sixth-round pick for the Ravens’ fifth-round pick. So the Panthers are going to pay more than $3 million in cash and cap space and give Johnson away just to move up maybe 15 spots in the middle of Day 3 of the draft.
The trade terms and contract adjustment make clear how eager the Panthers were to move on from Johnson as they give up on this season and attempt to build for the future. It also suggests that the rest of the league doesn’t think much of Johnson, if that’s all the Panthers could get after shopping him around.
Now the Ravens will hope Johnson can make a difference in a season that they hope will end up in the Super Bowl. Even if Johnson doesn’t do much, he seems likely to be worth the cost. Because he hardly cost anything.
Diontae Johnson is headed back to the AFC North.
According to multiple reports, the Ravens are acquiring Johnson from the Panthers to help boost what’s already one of the league’s best offenses.
Carolina will receive a fifth-round pick from Baltimore for Johnson and a sixth-round pick.
Johnson, 28, has caught 30 passes for 357 yards with three touchdowns in seven games for the Panthers this year.
The receiver spent his first five seasons with the Steelers before being traded to the Panthers during the 2024 offseason.
In 84 career games, Johnson has 421 receptions for 4,720 yards with 28 TDs.
Baltimore is currently No. 1 in total yards and No. 2 in points scored. Despite being No. 24 in passing attempts, the Ravens are No. 5 in passing yards. Lamar Jackson has completed 67 percent of his throws for 2,099 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Zay Flowers leads the Ravens with 41 catches for 627 yards with a touchdown. Rashod Bateman has 422 yards on 22 catches with three touchdowns.
After losing to Cleveland to break a five-game winning streak on Sunday, Baltimore will host Denver in Week 9.
