Panthers bench former first-round pick Bryce Young after 0-2 start; Andy Dalton starts at quarterback

The Panthers have suffered two losses to begin Canales’ tenure. After a devastating Week 1 loss at New Orleans, Carolina suffered a 26-3 defeat to the LA Chargers in their home opener on Sunday. In two games, Carolina has scored just 13 points.

Young totaled 245 passing yards with three interceptions, zero touchdowns and a completion percentage of 55.4% in two weeks. On Sunday, he reached a career low with 84 passing yards and an interception.

Since his first start in Carolina, the 5-foot-10 Young has never really made an impact. Behind a leaky offensive line, he was uncoordinated, panicked – rarely appeared – his technique faltered and he repeatedly made poor decisions. Young’s performance continued to deteriorate in the first two games of the 2024 season.

This offseason, the Panthers wanted to improve the disastrous quarterback situation they traded for in the 2023 draft, including star receiver DJ Moore and Caleb Williams, who would go on to be the No. 1 overall pick. Carolina spent a lot of money to improve the interior offensive line, trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette in the first round. So far, none of that has helped.

Canales was hired specifically for his work with quarterbacks, helping turn around the careers of Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa, and after two games he has concluded that Dalton is the better option at the moment.

The road ahead will be interesting for the club and Young. The coach may need to figure out what parts of the offense are working, and he can’t do that with a quarterback who is struggling. Canales may think the 23-year-old quarterback would benefit from some time on the bench. Whatever the outcome, Young will take a back seat in Carolina. The question is when, if ever, the former No. 1 pick will be back at the helm.