The Carolina Panthers turned to Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback midway through the 2024 season. Originally, the Panthers had high hopes when selecting Bryce Young as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft; however, his performance fell short of expectations, leading to his benching. Dalton stepped in, starting five games, but an injury from a car accident sidelined him and thrust Young back into the starting lineup. Once Dalton recovered, Young showed enough improvement to maintain his starting position, but the team still expressed a desire for Dalton to remain with them.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Carolina Panthers have signed Dalton to a new two-year contract worth $8 million, which includes $6 million guaranteed and can reach a maximum value of $10 million. Schefter noted that, “Panthers QB Bryce Young has developed a close relationship with Dalton, and now the two continue to get to work together,” in a post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
Dalton entered the NFL as a second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011. Throughout his career, he has started 168 games for the Bengals, Cowboys, Bears, Saints, and now the Panthers, posting impressive career stats with a 63% completion rate, 39,500 passing yards, 253 touchdowns, and 150 interceptions. It remains to be seen if Dalton will see more action for the Panthers in the upcoming season.
