Dave Canales offers telling comments on Bryce Young’s injury and overall QB room setting up an interesting week for the Panthers
Bryce Young will be day-to-day with an ankle injury going into Week 8.
The Carolina Panthers got the worst news confirmed on Monday when NFL Insider Tom Pelissero reported the MRI revealed quarterback Bryce Young suffered a high right ankle sprain in the team’s Week 7 win over the New York Jets.
The initial expectation was that Young will be forced to miss at least one game due to the injury. While speaking with the media, head coach Dave Canales did not confirm the report of the injury being a high ankle sprain and left the door open for Young’s status going into the week.
“We’re going to go day-to-day on that right now,” Canales told reporters on Monday. “Just really look at him each day, just test the ankle in different ways to see if we can’t get him back out there on Wednesday in some way, shape, or form.”
“I saw [Young] this morning and he was like ‘Let’s push this thing, let’s see what we got.’ We’re going to try to take that approach with it and just go from there.”
If Young is forced to miss Week 8’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills, veteran Andy Dalton will be in line to make the start for the Panthers. Dalton went 4/7 on Sunday in place of Young and has experience leading this team and the confidence from the coaching staff. But, what about his backup?
Dave Canales hints at adding another QB following Bryce Young’s ankle injury
Behind Young and Dalton, the Panthers only have one other quarterback in the building in Hendon Hooker. The former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third-round of the 2023 NFL Draft but appeared in just three regular season games.
Hooker was released by the Lions in late August prior to the regular season and two days later signed with the Panthers on the practice squad after Carolina released quarterbacks Bryce Perkins and Jack Plummer after the preseason concluded. But, it doesn’t sound like Canales has confidence in Hooker being the team’s backup behind Dalton.
“We’re looking at that right now,” Canales said when asked about bring in another quarterback. “Again, this is all going to determine on the full evaluation to see where we’re at with Bryce… Probably more of a backup (to Dalton).”
When the Panthers signed Hooker, Canales made sure to point out that he “loved” the quarterback coming out of Tennessee, praising his physical tools and high character.
“I am very grateful that we get a player who’s had professional training for a while now with setting protections and run game alerts and a lot of the different things that the offense in Detroit was able to build that I really admire,” Canales said of Hooker. “To be able to bring a guy in who’s had exposure in that, and the talent and the character that I’m excited about, I’m glad he’s going to be here.”
If that’s the case, it worth wondering why the Panthers would feel it necessary to add to the room if Young can’t go on Sunday. There’s a lot of questions going on at the quarterback position in Carolina this week and we’ll get a better idea of what this position will look like later in the week.
Carolina Panthers News
NFL insider confirms suspicion with Panthers QB Bryce Young’s injury status for Week 8 matchup against the Bills
The Carolina Panthers starting quarterback is expected to miss at least one week.
