Things didn’t go too well for the last guy who Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales referred to as “our quarterback.” But we have a feeling that his latest use of that title will turn out to be a bit more firm.
Canales spoke with reporters on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after picking up the first victory of his head-coaching career. That triumph was led by veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, whom Canales bumped up to the starting role at the beginning of last week.
So, Canales was asked if he’ll continue to roll with Dalton.
“Andy’s our quarterback,” he replied. “He gives us our best chance to win. That’s the approach as we get ready for the Bengals.”
Dalton absolutely shined in the 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, completing 26 of his 37 throws for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The 14th-year passer helped push the Panthers to 437 yards of total offense, which marked their first 400-yard output since 2022.
Canales was then asked about now-backup quarterback Bryce Young, who was demoted in favor of Dalton after a disappointing two-game start.
“He was consistent in his leadership,” he said of Young’s work on the sideline in Week 3. “The way that he connects with the guys, the way that he continued to connect with people, to add that value of the experiences—because now you talk about a guy who’s got 18 games of experience under his belt to be able to see the game and brings those things. And he certainly did that.”
Kudos to Young, but it sure sounds like we’re now living through the full Andy Dalton experience.
