By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young is back in as Carolina’s starting quarterback.
Panthers coach Dave Caneles said Young would start Sunday against the Denver Broncos after Andy Dalton was diagnosed with a sprained thumb on his right throwing hand sustained during a car crash on Tuesday in Charlotte.
Dalton did not practice Wednesday and is listed as day to day. There is a chance he could be the No. 2 quarterback this week depending on his recovery.
“Bryce has been an absolute stud through this whole process. He has been engaged,” Canales said. “He has been involved in what we were doing and is excited about the opportunity.”
Young said Canales has not told him who will be the team’s starting QB moving forward if he plays well this week.
The Broncos have the league’s fifth-pass pass defense.
Canales informed Young of the decision to start him on Tuesday night after Dalton was checked out by the team’s medical staff. However, the team chose not to announce it until after practice.
The start will give Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, another opportunity to prove himself before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. He is 2-16 as an NFL starter and was benched two games into the season because of his ineffectiveness.
He was replaced by Dalton, who won his first start but has lost four straight since.
“I’m fired up for him to have another opportunity and just get in there and play some football,” Canales said of Young.
Young said it has been “challenging” being demoted and watching mostly from the sideline over the last five games. He has gotten mop-up work twice since being benched.
“I had to lean on my faith, lean on the people in this locker room and lean on family,” Young said. “I’m super grateful where I am at. … There is stuff that is out of my control and stuff that will go well in life and stuff that won’t. But there is a lot of things in my life that I’m super grateful for and through good and bad I want to focus on that outside of football.”
Dalton said he and his wife had just picked their three children from school on Tuesday and he was driving at the time of the two-car crash. His family did not need to be go to the hospital.
“All things considered I am glad that I am feeling how I am feeling and that my family is feeling how they’re feeling,” said Dalton, who had his right hand wrapped in an elastic bandage. “I am thankful for the Lord’s protection. It was obviously a scary deal and you never want anything like that to happen.”
Dalton said the driver of the other car also escaped serious injury.
“The good thing is everybody is safe,” he said.
Dalton did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The Panthers did get some good news on Wednesday as veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen returned to practice after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury.