The Carolina Panthers are benching former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and promoting Andy Dalton to starting quarterback after two weeks, NFL Network and ESPN reported Monday.
The Panthers (0-2) have scored a combined 13 points in their first two games under new head coach Dave Canales. Young threw for just 84 yards on 26 pass attempts in Sunday’s 26-3 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also tossed an interception.
Young became just the third player in the past 20 seasons to average 4 or fewer yards per pass play in four straight starts, according to ESPN. He has zero touchdowns against three INTs in two games this season.
Canales said after the game that Young would remain the team’s starter in Week 3 at Las Vegas (1-1). He changed his mind less than 24 hours later.
Dalton, 36, is a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback with a record of 83-78-2 in 14 seasons. He has backed up Young, 23, for the past two seasons in Carolina.
Dalton has thrown for 38,511 yards and 246 TDs against 144 INTs for five teams, most notably the Cincinnati Bengals (2011-19), who drafted him in the second round in 2011.
