It seems like forever since we've heard from Andy Dalton, the Cincinnati Bengals' favorite quarterback before Joe Burrow came along. Now, Dalton is the starter for the Carolina Panthers, who hardly look like an NFL team at all.
Panthers coach Dave Canales started second-year QB Bryce Young in the first two games, and were crushed in both. It was hardly all the fault of Young, but some of it was. So Carolina is turning to Dalton.
"I'm really excited for this opportunity," Dalton told reporters, via the team website. "When I came here, I wasn't sure if I was going to get another opportunity to start again. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited about what's ahead.
"It's a tough situation. I've been on both sides of it and it's hard for everybody. But for me, I'm looking forward to it."
Dalton is now 36 years old. So this may not be the ideal situation for him. Then again, he's still getting paid to start in the NFL so that alone should be victory enough. For Dalton, though, it may be the only victory with this particular team.
The Panthers signed Dalton in 2023 to help Young develop.
"[F]rom the moment I got here, I was going to do everything I could to help Bryce. And to try to help this team," Dalton said. "So, I was giving my input on certain things. I was able to see it from my point of view and kind of share that. But moving forward, it's like I get a different opportunity to affect the game."
"Hopefully, our friendship and everything that we've built from the moment he got here will stay, and I know it will," Dalton added. "It's one of those things, I think he even said it in his press conference after the game, in hard times, your true colors show. For him, I feel like he's going to come out and be the same person. But I feel for the whole situation. It's not fun for anybody. Just got to keep moving forward."
