CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Andy Dalton has been here before.
Although he’s new to Charlotte and has never worked with Panthers head coach Frank Reich, Dalton knows what it’s like to be the veteran quarterback who shepherds a highly drafted rookie signal-caller through the growing pains of his first season in the NFL.
Two seasons ago, Dalton — the former Cincinnati Bengals franchise quarterback from 2011 to 2019 — mentored Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields — the 10th overall pick in the 2021 draft — through the woes of a whirlwind rookie campaign.