Bryce Young has earned his third straight start.
Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales announced Wednesday that the team’s second-year quarterback will start instead of veteran Andy Dalton this weekend, when the Panthers face the New York Giants on Sunday in Munich, Germany.
The news comes three days after Young earned a win against the New Orleans Saints at home — one that featured the first game-winning touchdown drive of his 3-19 career.
Against the Saints, Young finished 16 of 26 for 171 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded an interception, which depressed his passer rating to 77.6, but that INT was less a product of an errant pass and more a product of a perfectly placed ball getting masterfully yanked from the arms of the intended receiver.
Young has gone 1-1 in his past two starts. Prior to that, he hadn’t started since Week 2, after Canales benched the 2023 overall No. 1 draft pick for Dalton after Young’s abysmal start to his sophomore season in the NFL.
The rumors of teams inquiring about trading opportunities spiked after Week 2. Reported interest continued to linger thereafter, but ultimately, Tuesday’s trade deadline came and went with Young still on the Panthers’ roster — something general manager Dan Morgan addressed on Wednesday.
“Every week, we’re assessing Bryce,” Morgan told reporters Wednesday. “Taking it day by day really. Seeing him grow, seeing him develop, being under coach and working with him, learning under Andy. I think we do see him growing everyday.
“We’re excited to work with him and to keep working with him in the future. And at the end of the day, we’ll have those conversations once the season ends, and we’ll see where we’re at.”
The first-year GM said he and his staff “never got into any discussions” of trading Young.
“I never opened that door,” he said. “Didn’t want to trade Bryce. Still don’t. I’m committed to working with him, helping him grow, and helping him develop.”
Young, by all accounts after the post-Week 2 benching, approached the job with professionalism as he watched from the sideline on gameday. Dalton proceeded to go 1-5 as a starter. Then, last month, Dalton got into a minor car accident where he sprained his right thumb, which paved the way for Young to start again.
After struggling in Denver, Canales said that Young would start again against the Saints as Dalton continued to recover from injury. And on Wednesday, Canales said Young earned the starting job again.