Bryce Young will start a second straight game this Sunday.
The Panthers are planning to start the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft in Carolina's Week 9 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, head coach Dave Canales announced on Wednesday.
Young made his third start of the 2024 season in Week 8, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions in a 28-14 loss to Denver. He found himself in the starting lineup for that game primarily because veteran Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident during the week preceding the game and suffered a thumb injury that sidelined him.
Dalton is progressing in his recovery -- he was a full participant at practice on Wednesday -- but Canales felt better giving him another week instead of rushing him back onto the field.
"It really was me taking the decision out of Andy's hands," Canales explained on Wednesday. "If you were to ask Andy, 'Can you go,' he would tell you, 'Yes.' For me, it's like, he's a week removed from a thumb injury and I just wanted to make sure that we're putting him in the right state and the right framework. And I'm excited for Bryce to have another opportunity, to build on the things that we've talked about, to continue to just grow and get that experience that we talked about is invaluable, to be on the field, to be calling the plays and be doing it."
In the loss to Denver, Young showed small signs of progress in his first start since Canales benched him in favor of Dalton in Week 3. Young will get another chance to prove himself against a Saints team that has struggled mightily, losing six straight after starting the season 2-0.