Carolina Panthers must commit to Bryce Young after Week 7 embarrassment

The new lows reached by the Carolina Panthers almost weekly are astonishing. They truly are.

Dave Canales' men are now 1-6 on the season after another disappointing loss to the Washington Commanders. They were anemic and incapable of generating any momentum. Even after the home team lost rookie sensation Jayden Daniels on the opening drive with a rib issue, it didn't matter.

Carolina is almost assured of another losing campaign under David Tepper's ownership. It's been years of sorry football and no direction whatsoever. Injuries aren't helping, but this is as bad as it gets.

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton went through another indifferent afternoon at the office. The signal-caller began the day by throwing a pick-six to edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and things didn't get much better after that. With the season getting away from them, Canales must commit to starting Bryce Young the rest of the way.

Canales opted to bench Young after his woeful two-game run to begin the season. He wanted him to take a breather and learn from the sidelines. Dalton provided some brief upturn in performance levels, but it was fleeting. This is a terrible football team no matter who is under center.

Young's had five games out of the firing line aside from garbage time reps. The Panthers need to get him back involved to properly assess his capabilities. They aren't winning with Dalton. Why not put the younger option in to see if something can be salvaged?

Carolina Panthers have nothing to lose by starting Bryce Young again

The Panthers need to start planning for the future. Dalton is not that by any stretch of the imagination. He's barely the present, so Young must step into the breach and Carolina must stick with him for good or bad over the second half of 2024.

It's not like things can get much worse. The Panthers are rooted at rock bottom and remain the league's laughingstock. Fans are disillusioned and less engaged than ever. Young has a glimmer of hope for the future, especially if he manages to win back confidence heading into another critical offseason in 2025.

If Young cannot turn things around, general manager Dan Morgan can start examining quarterback alternatives in free agency or the draft. The Panthers invested a significant amount in the Heisman Trophy winner when they gave a king's ransom for the No. 1 pick in 2023, turning down the chance to draft C.J. Stroud along the way. Even if they don't believe, the staff cannot keep throwing a 36-year-old out there when all hope is lost.

That's organizational malpractice. Something not in keeping with a rebuilding franchise, although Morgan was eager to say this was a retool before the campaign when the obvious was staring everyone in the face.

The consensus was that Young would be reintroduced at some stage. Canales won't do it until he genuinely believes the signal-caller is ready. But the time for coddling a veteran who probably won't be around next year has been and gone.

Young might not work out. He might be too far gone to salvage in this environment. But that doesn't mean the Panthers don't have to try.

What's the worst that can happen?

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