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The Carolina Panthers are looking for a backup quarterback, following the injury to Andy Dalton. Dalton is nursing an elbow injury this NFL preseason. Carolina found their new man Sunday in former UFL MVP Bryce Perkins. Perkins signed with Carolina, per ESPN.
Perkins is the reigning MVP of the UFL, or United Football League. He has spent some time in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams. He played sparingly in Los Angeles.
Perkins will get a lot of snaps for the team in their final preseason game, on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carolina doesn't plan on playing starting quarterback Bryce Young in that contest.
Dalton left the team's recent preseason game against the Houston Texans due to his injury.
“Looks like an elbow sprain,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said after the 20-3 loss to the Texans, per the team. “We'll image it tomorrow, so I don't really have the details of all that. He was moving it around fine.
“He said he feels fine, but we've got to take a look and see what happens there.”
Perkins threw for 1,342 passing yards for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL, during the 2025 regular season. He also tossed nine touchdown passes.
Panthers are looking for a trip to the playoffs in 2025
The Panthers have struggled through the last few seasons. Carolina made a coaching change ahead of the 2024 campaign, and brought in Dave Canales to lead the team. Canales guided the Panthers to a 5-12 record in his first season.
Panthers fans are hoping for marked improvement in Year 2. Bryce Young is the starter for this Panthers squad. He showed flashes of brilliance in the 2024 season. Young finished the year with 2,403 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Young says he hopes that Dalton is on the mend. Dalton is a veteran who brings leadership and experience to the quarterback room.
“He was Andy on the sideline,” Young said following Dalton's injury. “Always locked in, always talking with us and Jack and being involved. Obviously, I'm not on medical staff, I don't know anything about that, but he's himself. He's always going to say he's good and then have that positive energy and everything going around.
“So obviously I pray it's nothing serious.”
Perkins will get a chance to show what he can do on Thursday, against the Steelers. The Panthers are 0-2 in the preseason. Carolina starts their regular season schedule on September 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Carolina hasn't made the playoffs since the 2017 season.
