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Since turning the keys over from Bryce Young to Andy Dalton, the Carolina Panthers have been among the worst teams in the NFL. They've lost four of five, rank bottom-10 in every major offensive and defensive category, and currently hold a point differential of -133, which feels borderline impossible through seven games.
… what? How is that even possible?
It's true; over the past seven games, the Panthers have lost by an average of 19 points and have been blown out in almost every single game. Their season may not technically be over, but it certainly feels like it, which makes the decision to keep Dalton locked in the starting lineup all the more confusing. Why? Because even if Young is on the lower end of the top-40 quarterbacks in the NFL, he isn't going to get any better on the bench and should be allowed to play out the season both for the sake of the Panthers and his future employment at the NFL level.
1. Andy Dalton isn't doing anything for the Panthers
When Andy Dalton took over for the Panthers against the Las Vegas Raiders, it looked like Carolina was finally fixed.
The “Red Rifle” completed 70.3 percent of his passes while throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns and looked like the sort of talent capable of finally making the franchise relevant once more.
… but as it turned out, that wasn't really the case.
No, unfortunately, it looks like the Raiders' defense is just bad, and the Panthers' offense is bad, too, with Dalton averaging just under 165 yards per game and throwing six interceptions over the last four games versus just four touchdowns. With a game against the Denver Broncos and their stingy defense up next in Week 8, will Dalton really be able to get the Panthers a second win before the end of November? Or will they officially be eliminated from the playoffs before most people swap out their Halloween decorations for Christmas lights and hand turkey drawings?
No, unless the Panthers really turn things around in Week 8 and look like an elite team – which would be a truly incredible development – it would make more sense to trade Dalton to a team in need of QB help than get him to double-digit losses in 2024.
2. Dave Canalas needs to prove he can coach anyone, even Bryce Young
Speaking with reporters after the team's Week 7 loss, Canalas boldly declared that he is still behind Dalton as his starting quarterback, as he believes his team is doing some things very well.
“This is about Andy Dalton. This is about playing the Broncos. This is about taking strides with our group that we have. And that’s really where the focus is, and that’s about all I can give you,” Canalas told reporters via The Carolina Observer.
“If you look at the collection of the games he’s played, there’s been some really good situational passing that has come out of it. We’ve had some explosive plays come out of it. The offense has run smoothly for the most part. And I’d love for us as a group, Andy included, to find a way to finish. And yesterday we didn’t have a shot to finish, the game got out of hand so quickly. But the week before, that’s where we were headed. But now we have to address just fundamental execution, breaking the huddle, lining up properly, finishing the play.”
Is Canalas correct? Yes, no team is truly horrible at everything, and there have been bright spots in each game, too, like the play of Chuba Hubbard. But how Canalas has handled Young's play in 2024 is not one of them, as he was willing to throw his young QB out with the bathwater in the pursuit of the instant gratification of weekly wins; weekly wins that haven't come so far this season.
If Canalas really is a good head coach, a savvy offensive mind, and the sort of person worthy of leading the team into the future long-term, he has to be able to prove he can optimize the talent he's given, instead of being so rigid that he can only work with “his guys.” Why? Because even if the Panthers draft a new QB in April, whose to say he gels with Canalas either? Better to prove he can adjust his scheme to his players instead of being too rigid to make it work.
3. Bryce Young is still (potentially) the Panthers' future
And last but certainly not least, the main reason why the Panthers should play Young over Dalton is because Young can still be part of the team's future.
I know, I know, it sounds crazy to say that a first overall pick in just his second professional season in the NFL might not be his team's future, but it's true; plenty of fans inside the Panthers' fanbase and outside of it are open to the idea of moving on from the diminutive Alabama passer in favor of someone new in 2024. Even if Dalton isn't the guy long-term, as he would be the second-oldest starting quarterback in the NFL next season, depending on what happens with Joe Flacco and Matthew Stafford, he can still bridge the way to a new regime next year, as he was supposed to do some of that next season.
The problem? There's no guarantee any of the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft are that much better than Young coming out of Alabama and won't be in a similar bed midway through their second season if the talent on the Panthers' roster doesn't get much better. For better or worse, Young still has the highest upside of any player on the Panthers, and after being placed in such a weird spot earlier this season, his optimal value to Carolina is on the field. With the season effectively over already, why not give the young passer a two-month job application, both for the Panthers in 2024 and for every other team in the NFL, too?
