Panthers HC Dave Canales asked if he will bench Bryce Young

After the boos and chants for Andy Dalton on Sunday, Bryce Young does not seem to be the preferred choice of Carolina Panthers fans as quarterback at the moment. But it is not them who have to make the decision, but head coach Dave Canales.

Canales spoke to reporters after his team's 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, in which Young struggled for the second consecutive time to start the 2024 season. He was asked if he would consider benching the 2023 first-round pick for veteran backup Dalton.

“Bryce is our quarterback,” Canales replied. “I'd like to see this thing just continue to take the next steps offensively.”

Young seemed to take some steps back in Week 2, when he hit a new career low in passing yards per attempt (3.2). In addition to just 84 yards through the air, the 23-year-old threw another puzzling interception – his third of the young season.

As the Panthers entered Week 3 0-2, the offense scored just one touchdown and converted just two of its 22 third-down attempts, so Canales was asked if Young will start next Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Bryce is our quarterback,” he said. “We're just going to continue to work on ourselves and get the things right that we need to — fundamentally, from a game standpoint, all of those things. Those are all valuable reps, those are all valuable plays, we're going to learn a lot from this game and hopefully take another step this week.”

The Panthers are currently 2-16 in games started by Young.