Panthers' subtle move may spell trouble for once promising draft pick

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan
Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Nothing seems straightforward for the Carolina Panthers. Just when head coach Dave Canales' squad is starting to generate real momentum, winning four of their last five and looking forward with supreme optimism, an injury to starting quarterback Bryce Young derailed the positivity.

Young left their game in Week 7 against the New York Jets with an injury. The No. 1 overall pick in 2023 had further tests, which revealed that the Alabama product suffered a high ankle sprain that will reportedly keep him out this weekend versus the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium.

Canales didn't rule Young out during his recent media availability, but it's not looking especially promising. The Panthers' signing of Mike White to the practice squad only lends further weight to this notion.

Carolina Panthers signing Mike White could be bad news for Hendon Hooker

This also sends a loud message to a once highly touted draft pick still trying to find his feet in the NFL.

Hendon Hooker started his professional career on the back foot thanks to a serious knee problem suffered in college at Tennessee. The Detroit Lions took him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he missed his entire rookie campaign. After backing up Jared Goff last season, the signal-caller didn't do enough to make the 53-man roster this time. Carolina scooped him up quickly, and he's been on their practice squad ever since.

Most fans thought Hooker would get elevated to the active roster to back up Andy Dalton if Young misses time as expected. That might still be the case, but White's arrival means this is no guarantee by any stretch of the imagination.

White has more starting experience. He's proven capable of stepping in at a moment's notice and producing the goods. The same cannot be said of Hooker, who's thrown just nine NFL passes in a competitive regular-season setting.

There is also the familiarity factor. White spent last season with Carolina's opponents in Week 8. He'll know the defensive scheme and how best to counteract it. And make no mistake, this sort of insider information is always helpful.

As for Hooker? He'll keep working hard on his craft, and he'll be hoping to get the call-up if Young doesn't get the all-clear to participate. But if there was supreme confidence in his ability to make a lasting contribution, the Panthers might have resisted the urge to bring another signal-caller into the fold.

It'll be interesting to see what the Panthers decide. But the sooner Young gets back into the mix, the better.

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