Bryce Young Benched by Panthers, Andy Dalton to Start for Week 3

Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will be benched for the Carolina Panthers' upcoming Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Three-time Pro Bowler Andy Dalton will start in his place.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has been benched for the team's Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to a report from NFL Network. Andy Dalton will start in his place.

Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has struggled in his first two games of the season, throwing for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in blowout losses against the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bryce Young Benched by Panthers, Andy Dalton to Start for Week 3

Panthers running back Miles Sanders said he spoke to Young after the Chargers game to offer encouragement. "He's the first pick overall and everything he does is under a microscope, not just here but around the league," Sanders said. "He's a competitor and I know his confidence can go down a little bit, so I was trying to tell him, ‘I've got your back, man.’"

Dalton, a three-time Pro Bowler, has been with the Panthers since the start of last season and has appeared in three games, making one start. He has 361 passing yards and two touchdown passes.

Bryce Young Benched by Panthers, Andy Dalton to Start for Week 3

He hasn’t been a regular starter since the 2022 season, when the Saints were trying to find their successor for Drew Brees. He mainly was the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2011 to 2019.

With the Bengals, Dalton had 31,594 passing yards and 204 passing touchdowns in 133 games.

Bryce Young Benched by Panthers, Andy Dalton to Start for Week 3

The Panthers invested a lot to get Young. They traded up in 2023 with the Chicago Bears to get him, but his play hasn’t appeared to affect their record as they were the worst team in the NFL last season as well.

The move to bench Young is a sign of the Panthers' desperation to turn around their season after an 0-2 start. Dalton, a veteran quarterback with a proven track record, is expected to provide some stability and leadership to the offense.

However, it also raises questions about Young's future with the Panthers. He was the first overall pick in the draft, and the Panthers are hoping he can be their franchise quarterback for years to come. But his struggles in the first two games have raised doubts about whether he's ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

The Panthers will host the Raiders on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Dalton will make his first start for the Panthers since December 2022, when he led them to a 24-10 win over the Detroit Lions. Young will likely be used as a backup and could potentially see limited playing time.