CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Andy Dalton will start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, whether Bryce Young is active or not, a team spokesman said Friday.
Young suffers from sprained ankle; he is currently listed as questionable for the 1 p.m. game.
A league source told ESPN on Monday that Young would not play against Buffalo after an MRI determined the quarterback had a severe ankle sprain. The source said the hope is Young will be back for next week’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
Young was injured late in the third quarter in last Sunday’s 13-6 win over the New York Jets, which improved the Panthers’ record to 4-3 with their third straight victory.
Coach Dave Canales insisted all week that the top pick in the 2023 draft was day-to-day, even though Young worked Wednesday through Friday with coaches on the sidelines.
Canales said Friday it would be “difficult” to put Young on the field after going the week without taking team photos.
“Bryce and I talked at the beginning of the week and said, ‘Hey, let’s push this thing every day, see where we are.’ …We have to be smart. But it’s wise of us to take it day by day and see if we can bring it back and continue to move our football forward.
This will be Dalton’s first start for Carolina this season and sixth in three seasons. He is 1-5 in his previous starts for the Panthers.
“Every opportunity I get to be out there, I’m going to take advantage of every moment,” Dalton said Thursday. “You never know how many you’re going to get.”
“Obviously you hate that Bryce got hurt, but I get to be there and be a part of it and impact the game, so any time you get an opportunity, you look forward to it,” he continued.
Dalton has a fun history with the Bills. In 2017, he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a victory over the Baltimore Ravens that sent Buffalo to the playoffs.
Bills fans donated more than $415,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, in increments of $17, to honor the 17-year playoff drought. They also gave Dalton a standing ovation the following season for a preseason game.
“It was pretty cool,” Dalton recalls.
