Third-year quarterback Bryce Young looked the part during a brief cameo in the Carolina Panthers' preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. But it didn't take long for the offense to stutter once the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft went out of the lineup.
It all went downhill from there. The Panthers were second-best throughout most of the contest, which gave head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan plenty of useful information with final cuts on the not-too-distant horizon.
Even though veteran quarterback Andy Dalton is a lock to make the team, his underperformance with the spotlight glaring represents an overlooked area of concern.
Andy Dalton struggled during Carolina Panthers' preseason opener, and that's a problem
Dalton got a new two-year deal this offseason, which could be the last of his professional career. He came in for Young when Canales benched him last season. After an impressive start against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, things unraveled quickly.
Young came back in, and the rest is history. Dalton is serving as a mentor to the Alabama product, and hopefully nothing more. He'll have an important role to play behind the scenes, but it's evident from his showing versus the Browns that the former second-round pick's powers are on the wane.
The Panthers' understudy completed 68.42 percent of his passes for 101 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Dalton was sacked twice. He gained a 59.3 passer rating as a result of his efforts. And the 5.3 yards per completion was extremely low to further raise doubts.
Dalton is experienced enough to bounce back. Even so, it seems like Father Time might be catching up with the ex-TCU standout at long last.
There is no chance of Dalton losing his roster spot at any stage. He knows the scheme, and the Panthers need an insurance policy behind Young if he gets hurt. That doesn't change due to one indifferent preseason outing, but it's not hard to see where the complications could arise if the No. 1 option is forced to miss time at any stage.
It could be nothing, and Dalton could easily bounce back during Carolina's next warmup engagement against the Houston Texans. But this is now something to monitor after the regression signs were crystal clear under the lights at Bank of America Stadium.
Dalton has overcome adversity before. He must do the same again this time around.